The Beachcomber

Germany's North Sea Coast: The Island of Sylt, 1711. It's the age of whaling and beachcombing and life is hard on Sylt, especially for women forced to get by on their own. Ever since the death of her parents, Jordis has lived with her grandmother in a simple hut in Rantum. The two of them survive by beachcombing and by secret fortune-telling, using the oracle runes that are a crucial part of the ancient Norse religion. Under the local minister's skeptical eye, Jordis befriends his daughter, Inge. Jordisconfides her love with the young blacksmith, Arjen, to her new friend, only to discover that Inge, too, hopes that Arjen will propose to her. The competition shatters the women's friendship and puts their families at odds. When a cross falls from the ceiling in the church and a powerful storm hits the island, the minister accuses the guilty immediately: Jordis and her grandmother, who he believes are witches. Jordis survives the harsh North Sea by recovering and finding value in what was lost. But can she recover her reputation and find the value in her own life? --Publisher description.