Susan Elizabeth Elliott

Ophelia's Ghost Susan Elizabeth Elliott

Eva Hail, an anthropologist in her mid-30s, disappears from her campsite. She is researching the Anasazi abandonment of the 14th century, weaving together astronomy, ancient religions, and the Art of Memory. Eva's belongings are left behind, and there are no signs of violence. Joe Hill, a local tracker, is asked to look for her, aided only by her field notebook. Joe's daughter is playing Ophelia in Hamlet, which introduces the questions Shakespearean scholars have debated since 1598. Can we know if we've truly seen a ghost? Can witnesses or experiments validate reality? Joe is haunted by his memories: his father left before Joe was born; his mother, an herbal healer, died five years ago; his wife, a dancer, abandoned him. Set in 1958 in the American Southwest, Ophelia's Ghost explores key themes of this period: UFOs, the space race, Einstein's relativity, parallel universes, and structural anthropology. Joe's search to find Eva uncovers mysteries of the past, present, and future.