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The Lace Reader: A Novel |  | Author: Brunonia Barry
Publisher: Harper Paperbacks
Category: Book
List Price: $14.99
Buy Used: $1.79
as of 7/30/2010 06:12 CDT details
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Seller: internationalbooks
Rating:  235 reviews
Sales Rank: 4912
Media: Paperback
Pages: 416
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.7
Dimensions (in): 7.9 x 5.3 x 1
ISBN: 0061624772
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.6
EAN: 9780061624773
ASIN: 0061624772
Publication Date: September 1, 2009
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Amazon.com Review
Amazon Best of the Month, August 2008: Brunonia Barry dreamt she saw a prophecy in a piece of lace, a vision so potent she spun it into a novel. The Lace Reader retains the strange magic of a vivid dream, though Barry's portrayal of modern-day Salem, Massachusetts--with its fascinating cast of eccentrics--is reportedly spot-on. Some of its stranger residents include generations of Whitney women, with a gift for seeing the future in the lace they make. Towner Whitney, back to Salem from self-imposed exile on the West Coast, has plans for recuperation that evaporate with her great-aunt Eva's mysterious drowning. Fighting fear from a traumatic adolescence she can barely remember, Towner digs in for answers. But questions compound with the disappearance of a young woman under the thrall of a local fire-and-brimstone preacher, whose history of violence against Whitney women makes the situation personal for Towner. Her role in cop John Rafferty's investigation sparks a tentative romance. And as they scramble to avert disaster, the past that had slipped through the gaps in Towner's memory explodes into the present with a violence that capsizes her concept of truth. Readers will look back at the story in a new light, picking out the clues in this complex, lovely piece of work. --Mari Malcolm
Product Description
Every gift has a price . . . every piece of lace has a secret. Towner Whitney, the self-confessed unreliable narrator, hails from a family of Salem women who can read the future in the patterns in lace, and who have guarded a history of secrets going back generations. Now the disappearance of two women is bringing Towner back home to Salem—and is bringing to light the shocking truth about the death of her twin sister.
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| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 235
 The Lace Reader July 24, 2010
Sandra Brazier (Beautiful New Hampshire, USA)
History, the characters' past, and the present are all interwoven into a lace of a different kind in this novel. Although a little difficult to follow in some minor places, the end result of this story-telling effort is exquisite!
The saga begins with Towner Whitney reluctantly traveling back home to Salem, Massachusetts for the funeral of her dear aunt. When we first meet Towner, our narrator, we find her somewhat confusing and confused. But the story gets its point across, and we later learn the hidden truths enveloped in this strategically and purposely "foggy" narration.
The charm and mystique of spooky Salem with its witches, interesting sites, and unusual history just add to the mystery of the story. The addition of lace readers to the plot helps it to slowly and gently emerge as does the lace on a lace maker's pillow. This is a fascinating and exciting story that I won't soon forget. I eagerly look forward to Ms Barry's next book. I am sure that her writing will have become more experienced and that her story-telling will remain awesome!
 I'm Not Understanding The Other Reviews July 20, 2010
Blohaney (Mass.)
Before reading this book, I had read lots of the reviews here and had almost decided not to read it at all, as many of them were not very good. Also, based on quite a few reviews, people found this book to be confusing and difficult to follow.
As for myself.....I did not find it difficult to follow, nor do I see why some people found it to be so bad.
I actually enjoyed this story. It wasn't the most exciting book in the world, nor did the author delve into the supernatural world of clarvoiyancy (sp?) as much as I had hoped, but the story kept my interest and the characters were developed enough.
I had also read on other's reviews that they found the ending shocking. For me, I've given this four stars, instead of five, because of the ending. Without giving anything away, the end had a twist and I suppose it might be shocking to some readers but for me, I found it lacked that punch in the face that some authors can serve with a shocking ending.
All in all, the book is pretty good. Sure, the ending didn't grab me but I enjoyed the rest of the book enough that I can overlook that.
Just a thought, I lived in Massachusetts for a while and I adore the place. Some of my appreciation for this story may be due to it's location and the author's ample description of Essex County. Had it taken place in a different location, I'm not sure that I would have enjoyed it near as much.
 Loved the story, hated the end July 9, 2010
R. Smith
I didn't find the story to be slowpaced, in fact, I was deeply immersed in the story, the plot, and the history. I was loving this book. I was able to put aside details that normally would annoy me (the whole Sophya/Towner thing)and really get into this book.
Until the twist at the end. As other reviewers have said, I was totally confused. I shut the book, set it in my lap, and spent the next 10 minutes trying to figure out what I had just read. I still don't know! The concept of the ending is managable, if ANY amount of explanation were provided, but it isn't. It's just thrown at the reader and left to sit there, awkwardly.
A tangled lace of lies June 29, 2010
Michelle Boytim (Tucson, AZ USA)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
This is the story of Towner Whitney, a young woman from a line of Salem women with the gift of reading lace. After a series of traumas and a mental breakdown, Towner returns from California at the request of her great aunt who send her a lacemaker's pillow. Her great aunt goes missing and while Towner believes she has welcomed her home, she has actually been found drowned. Towner becomes involved with the investigation and the investigator of a missing woman who belonged to a cult started by her former uncle and seen recently with her great aunt. Towner's other family live on an island populated by semi-feral golden retrievers and housing her mother's shelter program for battered women who learn the art of lace making. A key point to remember is in the opening lines in which Towner declares herself a liar and the reader must discern the truth between the lies. While I liked some aspects of the book, I didn't find the twist that surprising and wished the mysticism of the lace reading and lace making had a more promininent role in the story.
 Life is too short. . . June 28, 2010
Jeanne B. (The Villages, Fl. USA)
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
. . . to finish every book you start reading. I am struggling to finish The Lace Reader in time for our book club next week. I think it is one of the dullest books I have ever read. I don't know which if any of the characters I should be interested in. I don't even know if they are alive or dead. I fail to see a mystery developing, and at this point I don't care.
Worst of all, the writing is amateurish and peppered with elementary grammatical errors. The writer goes on for 20 pages describing an ordinary domestic incident that takes maybe 20 minutes, not once but several times. I've never said this about a novel before, but this one could have used a little "purple prose." Might have livened it up a little.
Too bad. I've always been interested in the Salem witches and also in lace making, but I haven't learned anything useful about either subject.
Phooey.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 235
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