The Lace Reader

Critics

• Divination by doily

  The classic reading-group novel is becoming eerily familiar. There's the emotion-laden yet strangely distanced tone, the damaged yet courageous protagonist, and the what-if dilemma that's supposed to set the ladies yacking. A reader-flattering intell ... (read full critics)

  guardian.co.uk published on Fri, 24 Sep 2010

• The Lace Reader By Brunonia Barry

  If you choose just one novel to read in these waning days of summer, it should be the lovely and terrifically paced The Lace Reader. Part historical novel, part romance, part mystery - with a stunning twist that will have you hurriedly flipping back ... (read full critics)

  bookpage published on Tue, 14 Sep 2010

4 Reviews

• 3 people find this helpful

  

  The Lace Reader

  Towner Whitney is forced to return to Salem MA, after an absence of almost 15 years, when her Great-Aunt Eva goes missing. Once she is back in Salem Towner soon finds out that she will need to confront the ghosts of her past in order to move on into her future. Through a series of flashbacks and m ... (continue)

  Towner Whitney is forced to return to Salem MA, after an absence of almost 15 years, when her Great-Aunt Eva goes missing. Once she is back in Salem Towner soon finds out that she will need to confront the ghosts of her past in order to move on into her future. Through a series of flashbacks and memories the reader finds out that the Whitney family is not quite what they seem. The story is filled with a cast of eccentric characters from Towner's mother May who refuses to step a foot off the island she lives on, to her uncle Calvin who has been saved and has started his own religious cult at a local campground, to a collection of witches who seem to have gravitated to Salem because of it's historical past.
  The writing in this story is excellent and there were many features that made this book appeal to me. Each chapter is prefaced with a quote from The Lace Reader's Guide by Eva Whitney which is a convention I found appealing in itself. However, these little excerpts do more than just introduce the tone of each chapter, They end up providing important foreshadowing of what is to come later in the book. Meanwhile, the true story of Towner's family is revealed to the reader slowly, memory by painful memory, as Towner actually draws her past back to her consciousness out from the mental "lock-box" where she has stored all her Salem memories away. Then, one final twist at the very end of the story makes the reader to want to go back and start the story all over again, re-reading it with the new eyes.
  This is a great book that will keep you guessing throughout.

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  Readingrat said on Feb 24, 2008 | Add your feedback

• 

  I do not understand why people were raving about this book. In my opinion, the writing was drab. There were a few interesting plot twists, but to get to them you had to trudge through.

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  Heather Landry said on Apr 26, 2009 | Add your feedback

• 

  Mesmerizing!

  Brunonia Barry should win an award for this book! The characters are believable. I'm taken in by their personalities entirely. Salem, MA is an interesting and superb choice for, The Lace Reader. The story line is enthralling. It makes you think lace reading is possible. When you get to the end of t ... (continue)

  Brunonia Barry should win an award for this book! The characters are believable. I'm taken in by their personalities entirely. Salem, MA is an interesting and superb choice for, The Lace Reader. The story line is enthralling. It makes you think lace reading is possible. When you get to the end of the book your journey takes a surprising turn. I felt as though I had to read lace to see the book more clearly. I mean, the questions the book raised. I had to pause and think about the signs. I will be re-reading this. It's wonderful! Three words to describe it, "Masterful", "Erie", and "Phenomenal". She has a great understanding of people. This is a perfect book for Halloween, or anytime. Award-winning!

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  Sapphire Apple said on Oct 10, 2008 about the Hardcover edition | Add your feedback

• 

  Unusual story. Hard to recognize what is the truth and what is hallucination.

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  jackie said on Sep 9, 2008 about the Hardcover edition | Add your feedback

Book Details

• Rating:
  (17)
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• English Books
• Paperback 368 Pages
• ISBN-10: 097915930X
• ISBN-13: 9780979159305
• Publisher: Flap Jacket Press
• Pub date: Sep 01, 2007
• Dimensions: 1355 mm x 903 mm x 194 mm Just how big is that?
• Also available as: Hardcover, Audio CD, Others and eBook
• In other languages: other languages 繁體書

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