Sibylline Press Logo
Claire McDougall author headshot
Song of the Selkie book cover
MEDIA: Request a review copy or an interview with the author.
SAN DIEGO, CA, UNITED STATES, September 17, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — Sibylline Press announces the release of Song of the Selkie, the latest novel by Scottish-born author Claire R. McDougall. This lush and atmospheric story of three sisters uncovers buried truths, and the irresistible pull toward the selves they have left behind. Rooted in Scottish mythology and the ancient legend of the selkie, the novel explores identity, destiny, family, and what happens when the life we have built begins to feel like a kind of captivity.
In the old Scottish tale of the selkie, a seal woman comes ashore, sheds her skin, and dances on the land. When a man steals her skin, he forces her to remain with him, but no captivity can quell her longing for the sea.
In Song of the Selkie, the three McFarland sisters are bound by a similar ache. Frances, the youngest, has built a life around intellect and ambition, pursuing tenure at an Ivy League university in America. On the brink of professional triumph, she returns to Scotland and confronts a part of herself she has kept dormant for years.
Lala, the middle sister, moves restlessly from lover to lover, chasing passion and the creative life she believes is always just beyond reach. 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—and drawn by a force she cannot name.
When the sisters reunite at their childhood home on Hogmanay, Scotland’s ancient New Year, the past rises to the surface. Old wounds reopen, long-hidden truths emerge, and each woman must decide whether to remain captive to the life she has created—or dare to reclaim the skin she once shed.
“Claire McDougall has woven Scottish mythology, family history, and the complicated bonds between sisters into a beautifully atmospheric novel that asks what it means to find your way back to yourself,” said Vicki DeArmon, publisher of Sibylline Press.
Song of the Selkie has received strong early praise, including a review from Kirkus Reviews, which calls the novel “evocative and deeply atmospheric” and praises the care and compassion with which McDougall weaves selkie mythology into a powerful metaphor for personal destiny and transformation.
Advanced Praise for Song of the Selkie:
“Stunning from first page to last. Lush, haunting, and unforgettable, Song of the Selkie is infused with dark academia and rooted in Scottish mythology.”
—Julia Park Tracey, author of Silence
“Evocative and deeply atmospheric… The selkie mythology is woven with care and compassion, serving as a powerful metaphor for personal destiny and transformation.”
—Kirkus Reviews
About the Author
Born in Edinburgh and raised on Scotland’s west coast, Claire R. McDougall draws deeply on Scotland’s history, landscapes, and folklore in her fiction. She is the author of Mrs. McPhealy’s American and the Veil of Time series. She lives with her family in Aspen, Colorado.
SONG OF THE SELKIE
By Claire R. McDougall
Fiction
ISBN: 9798897400263
Trade Paperback: $20.00
September 15, 2026
Published by Sibylline Press — Publishing the work of brilliant women over 50.
About Sibylline Press:
Sibylline Press publishes the brilliant work of women authors over 50, exclusively. Founded in August 2022, Sibylline is owned by ten women of a certain age. The press currently publishes nearly 50 titles a year. Sibylline Press titles encompass the genres of fiction (commercial and literary, as well as mystery, adventure, fantasy, and romance) plus memoir. Sibylline Press takes its name from the Sibylline Scrolls, the ancient writings of wise older women, the Sibyls. More at sibyllinepress.com; and follow us on FB and IG @sibyllinepress.
Jenny McIntosh
JMPR
+1 480-202-7112
email us here
Visit us on social media:
LinkedIn
Instagram
Facebook
YouTube
TikTok
Legal Disclaimer:
EIN Presswire provides this news content “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability
for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this
article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
