Women of the Dunes
On sale
6th March 2019
Price: £9.99
The new novel from the acclaimed author of The House Between Tides, winner of the Waterstones Scottish Book of the Year 2018!
‘Sarah Maine is a master of Scottish historical fiction’ Sunday Post
****
It is the women who are keepers of tales.
Atmospheric, intoxicating and filled with intrigue, this sweeping novel is an epic story spanning the centuries, that links three women together across history.
Libby Snow spent her childhood hearing stories and legends from long ago. Now an archaeologist, her job is to dig deeper into the past, but her excavation at Ullaness, on Scotland’s west coast has a very personal resonance. For the headland of Ullaness holds not only the secrets of the legend of Ulla, the Norsewoman, but also begins the strange story of Ellen.
Libby’s grandmother passed on these tales – of love, betrayal and loss – but the more Libby learns at Ullaness, the more twisted the threads become. When human remains are discovered in the dunes, it becomes clear that time, and intention, have distorted accounts of what happened there. Is it too late to uncover the truth? Or is Libby herself in danger of being caught up in this tangled web of fable and deceit?
Praise for Sarah Maine:
‘An echo of Daphne du Maurier’ – Independent
‘Maine adroitly weaves together the three strands of her novel’ Sunday Times
‘Maine writes beautifully about the wilderness‘ – The Times
‘Maine skillfully balances a Daphne du Maurier atmosphere with a Barbara Vine-like psychological mystery…’ – Kirkus
‘Sarah Maine is a master of Scottish historical fiction’ Sunday Post
****
It is the women who are keepers of tales.
Atmospheric, intoxicating and filled with intrigue, this sweeping novel is an epic story spanning the centuries, that links three women together across history.
Libby Snow spent her childhood hearing stories and legends from long ago. Now an archaeologist, her job is to dig deeper into the past, but her excavation at Ullaness, on Scotland’s west coast has a very personal resonance. For the headland of Ullaness holds not only the secrets of the legend of Ulla, the Norsewoman, but also begins the strange story of Ellen.
Libby’s grandmother passed on these tales – of love, betrayal and loss – but the more Libby learns at Ullaness, the more twisted the threads become. When human remains are discovered in the dunes, it becomes clear that time, and intention, have distorted accounts of what happened there. Is it too late to uncover the truth? Or is Libby herself in danger of being caught up in this tangled web of fable and deceit?
Praise for Sarah Maine:
‘An echo of Daphne du Maurier’ – Independent
‘Maine adroitly weaves together the three strands of her novel’ Sunday Times
‘Maine writes beautifully about the wilderness‘ – The Times
‘Maine skillfully balances a Daphne du Maurier atmosphere with a Barbara Vine-like psychological mystery…’ – Kirkus
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Reviews
Maine adroitly weaves together the three strands of her novel
Praise for Beyond The Wild River
Maine writes beautifully about the wilderness
Maine's beautifully detailed descriptions of the American hinterlands provide a stunning setting for this historical tale of intrigue and suspense
Descriptive passages of lush, beautiful landscapes frame Maine's riveting portrait of a thoughtful young woman who yearns for more than is offered by her station and her gender, and the rough-and-tumble young man who is inexorably drawn to her.
Maine's gift of setting the mood shines in her latest novel... Fans of Kate Morton's rich-with-atmosphere novels will feel right at home.
Praise for The House Between Tides
There is an echo of Daphne du Maurier's <i>Rebecca</i> in Sarah Maine's appealing debut novel
A tremendous accomplishment. So assured, so well-judged, and with such an involving story to tell, this might be the author's fifth or sixth novel, not her first. A literary star is born!
...it came as a great surprise to learn that this was the author's debut novel. I predict great things for Sarah Maine.
Scotland's Outer Hebrides provides the sensuous setting for [this] impressive debut...[a] beautifully crafted novel.
Maine skillfully balances a Daphne du Maurier atmosphere with a Barbara Vine-like psychological mystery...The setting emerges as the strongest personality in this compelling story, evoking passion in the characters as fierce as the storms which always lurk on the horizon. A debut historical thriller which deftly blends classic suspense with modern themes.
Maine contrasts Hetty's present-day consternation with the past story of Blake and his wife, delivering details at a perfectly suspenseful pace... the historic mystery will keep readers guessing right up until the end.
Sarah Maine is a master of Scottish historical fiction
In Women of the Dunes, her two passions - archaeology and historic fiction - merge powerfully to create the atmospheric world of Libby Snow