The Lace Reader
December 13th, 2010 02:48 PM
The Lace Reader by Brunonia Barry offers mystery, intrigue, romance, history, surprising twists and characters you will love and want to know more about. A few words of caution – once you start it, you won’t be able to put it down.
The story of how The Lace Reader came to be published is as good as the novel itself. Barry self-published the book and it became so popular at book clubs that it caught the eye of an agent. Three publishing houses bid on it and it was recently released by William Morrow.
The novel is set in modern day Salem, Massachusetts. Towner Whitney is forced to return to Salem after a 15-year absence. She never intended to go back but is compelled to make the journey when her beloved Great Aunt Eva goes missing.
Towner’s story is woven intricately, like beautiful patterns of lace, to reveal the mysteries of her past as she deals with re-emerging memories and “the space between what is real and what is only imagined.”
Barry does a masterful job of blending Salem’s history with the story of Towner, her family and the town’s other inhabitants. One of the most interesting characters we meet is Towner’s great aunt Eva, who was able to see the future by reading the lace that is made locally with bone bobbins.
In Towner’s words, the Whitney family “was what the city of Salem fondly refers to as ‘quirky’.” Towner takes that sentiment to a new level and earns the title of “crazy woman” after she spends time in a psychiatric hospital. Returning home means facing the demons and the gossip.
Towner also gets involved in the mystery of her aunt’s disappearance while managing both family pressure to stay in Salem and a new romance. The Lace Reader is a riveting and evocative story that you’ll want to curl up with on a rainy afternoon, or share with your book club.
Laura Shields, for 32 Books Company, Edgemont Village.
Copyright North Shore Magazine Issue Dec 08 - Jan 09
The story of how The Lace Reader came to be published is as good as the novel itself. Barry self-published the book and it became so popular at book clubs that it caught the eye of an agent. Three publishing houses bid on it and it was recently released by William Morrow.
The novel is set in modern day Salem, Massachusetts. Towner Whitney is forced to return to Salem after a 15-year absence. She never intended to go back but is compelled to make the journey when her beloved Great Aunt Eva goes missing.
Towner’s story is woven intricately, like beautiful patterns of lace, to reveal the mysteries of her past as she deals with re-emerging memories and “the space between what is real and what is only imagined.”
Barry does a masterful job of blending Salem’s history with the story of Towner, her family and the town’s other inhabitants. One of the most interesting characters we meet is Towner’s great aunt Eva, who was able to see the future by reading the lace that is made locally with bone bobbins.
In Towner’s words, the Whitney family “was what the city of Salem fondly refers to as ‘quirky’.” Towner takes that sentiment to a new level and earns the title of “crazy woman” after she spends time in a psychiatric hospital. Returning home means facing the demons and the gossip.
Towner also gets involved in the mystery of her aunt’s disappearance while managing both family pressure to stay in Salem and a new romance. The Lace Reader is a riveting and evocative story that you’ll want to curl up with on a rainy afternoon, or share with your book club.
Laura Shields, for 32 Books Company, Edgemont Village.
Copyright North Shore Magazine Issue Dec 08 - Jan 09
