Some Secrets Only the Sea Can Fathom


New release from Sibylline Press!


Song of the Selkie

A Novel by Claire R. McDougall

Some Secrets Only the Sea Can Fathom

In the old Scottish tale of the Selkie, a seal woman slips from the sea at night, sheds her skin, and dances on the shore. A man, bewitched by her beauty, steals her skin and forces her to remain on land. But the Selkie’s heart belongs to the ocean, and no captivity can quiet her longing.

In Song of the Selkie, the three McFarland sisters are bound by a similar ache—a pull toward the wild, essential selves they have buried. Frances, the youngest, chose the life of the intellect, chasing tenure at an Ivy League university in America. On the brink of professional triumph, she returns to Scotland and finds herself face-to-face with the part of her that has lain dormant for years. Lala, the middle sister, lives in restless motion—moving from lover to lover, chasing passion and the creative life she believes is always just out of reach. And Eddie, the eldest, pours pints for fishermen in a seaside pub, quietly tethered to the small island of Roansay, the place their late mother once called home, drawn by a force she cannot name.

When the sisters reunite in their childhood house on Hogmanay, Scotland’s ancient New Year, the past surges like a rising tide. Old wounds split open, long-hidden truths surface, and each woman must decide whether she will remain captive to the life she has built—or dare to reclaim the skin she once shed.

Step into the haunting, myth-soaked world of Song of the Selkie—and order your copy today.


About the Author

Claire R. McDougall was born in Edinburgh and raised primarily on the west coast of Scotland. She earned an M.A. from Edinburgh University and an M.Litt. from Oxford. After an early career as a newspaper columnist, she turned to fiction. Her books include Mrs. McPhealy’s American and Song of the Selkie. Her Veil of Time series includes three time-travel novels—Dunadd, Druid Hill, and Iona—all published by Sibylline Press.

Claire holds a black belt in karate and is a fierce supporter of Scottish independence. For the past thirty years, she has lived with her family in Aspen, Colorado.

WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING ABOUT SONG OF THE SELKIE

“Lush, haunting, and unforgettable…”

—Julia Park Tracey, author of Silence: A Novel


“An enchanting family tale with a splash of the supernatural.”

—Kirkus Reviews


“An entrancing, richly textured novel, set in Scotland and America…”

—Barbara Bartocci, author of My Angry Son and Nobody’s Child Anymore

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