Women of the dunes : a novel

Summary: Libby Snow has always felt the pull of Ullaness, a spur of land on the sea-lashed coast of Western Scotland. Enshrouded in myths and legends, Ullaness was named for Ulla, a Viking maiden whose star-crossed romances and uncertain fate captured the imaginations of locals for generations, including Libby's great-great grandmother, Ellen. A maid growing up in the home of the Sturrocks, the baronetcy that now owns the fabled lands, Ellen became obsessed with the legendary Norsewoman - and even believed that she was Ulla. Now Libby, an archaeologist, has a chance to excavate the Sturrock lands for physical artifacts that will fill in the gaps of oral tradition. It's a career-making opportunity for the young academic, and a chance to separate fact from fiction in Ellen's stories. Yet, before the dig can even begin, a different kind of artifact is unearthed: the bones of a man, murdered over a hundred years ago, wearing the twin of a golden cross that Ellen passed on to Libby - important relics that might've belonged to Ulla herself. As public and private myths unfurl across centuries, a pattern of romance, violence, and tragedy emerges, revealing the invisible threads that tie Libby, Ellen, and Ulla together - and rewriting the history of Ullaness itself.