A century after the great days of moledom described in the great Chronicles, Privet, a lonely female pilgrim from the north, arrives in fabled Duncton Wood. Only old Stour, Master of the Library, realizes the importance of her quest. For Privet seeks an answer to moledom’s final mystery: where and what is the Book of Silence, whose scribe nomole knows, whose content none can guess, whose existence many still doubt? Decades of harmony have passed since the brave moles of Duncton saved moledom’s peaceful Stone followers from the disciples of the evil Word. But now all is not well. Their system has grown sleepy, while moledom is dangerously complacent about the spread of zealots from Caer Caradoc. Led by the sinister Thripp of Blagrove Slide, the Newborns believe that any other way than theirs to the Stone’s Silence is blasphemy and deserves death. As the Caradocian moles gain power, shy Privet, aided by Stour and inspired by the strange and inarticulate Rooster, finds herself the agent of change and renewal in Duncton Wood.