The Lace Reader: A Novel | 
|  | | | Title: | The Lace Reader: A Novel | | Author: | Brunonia Barry | | Publisher: | William Morrow | | Type: | Book / Hardcover | | Publication Date: | 01 August, 2008 | | ISBN / ISBN-13: | 0061624764 / 9780061624766 | | List Price: | $24.95 | | You Save: | $5.99 | | Amazon Price: | $18.96 | |
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| Editorial Review / Publisher's Information:
Product Description
Every gift has a price . . . Every piece of lace has a secret . . . My name is Towner Whitney. No, that's not exactly true. My real first name is Sophya. Never believe me. I lie all the time. . . . Towner Whitney, the self-confessed unreliable narrator of The Lace Reader, 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, but the disappearance of two women brings Towner home to Salem and the truth about the death of her twin sister to light. The Lace Reader is a mesmerizing tale that spirals into a world of secrets, confused identities, lies, and half-truths in which the reader quickly finds it's nearly impossible to separate fact from fiction, but as Towner Whitney points out early on in the novel, "There are no accidents."
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
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Customer Reviews:
• Took Me By Surprise! 05 June, 2009
Oh, I enjoyed this book quite a bit! It really surprised me how much I really liked it by then, considering I wasn't that impressed in the beginning. It started off a little slow, with too many points-of-view, and too many dangling mysteries, but as the story unraveled, I ended up falling in love with it. The ending twist completely took me by surprise, and I certainly didn't see it coming! It didn't make perfect sense, though... and there were still some loose threads by the end. However, I really did like it and will certainly keep an eye out for her other books! I really enjoyed the role of the golden retrievers.
- Reviewed by customer ID: A1D5RCOILPC9LX
• Spoiler Alert! 21 June, 2009
This book is good for anyone who knows, is related to, or is interested in people with Multiple Personality Disorder. Its narrative is fairly acurate. I figured out a lot sooner than most, because I know someone with the same condition. Nevertheless, it in an interesting read. The descriptions of old Salem and the surrounding islands are fascinating and intreguing, the story as told by many perspectives is also good. It's not the best book I've ever read, but it was certainly worth my time. A solid 4 star.
- Reviewed by customer ID: A5ZPAIIAKV13G
• What A Great Read! Confusing At Parts But Intriguing 05 June, 2009
I enjoyed this book. I could visualize so much of what she wrote. I appreciated the topics that she discussed, witchcraft, salem, abuse, in a way that created an intriguing novel, without going over the top. I bought it hard copy and it is one book I am glad I did. I have many books that I paid for and wished I had just done the library rental first. I have given this book to my older daughters to add to their summer read list.
- Reviewed by customer ID: AEPS9M9T7N0H6
• The Bookschlepper Recommends 04 June, 2009
This novel was self-published and sold so well a commercial publisher picked it up; went to the best-seller list. Offers a pragmatic look at Salem tourism. Well-written, tightly plotted, the novel is half-fantasy [intriguing concept of lace reading ties it all together.] and half psychology, dealing with the effects of abuse within the family and the community. Kept me up late reading to the very end.
- Reviewed by customer ID: ARHVPHRBV0QEG
• An Absorbing Read 08 June, 2009
An excellent book, which draws you in gradually but is difficult to put down once it has you. I had an inkling of what was "really" going on early on but still need to know how it would shake out for Towner. I liked that it was ultimately a story of waking up, of living one's own life and facing the dark events that have flawed it.
The drama had to do with Towner's acceptance of who she is, as much as the actual police/missing person's mystery. Damaged heroines are the most interesting to read. You never know if they are going to find their way out of the muck, or drown in it. It's that question, that had me turning the pages late into the night, to the end.
- Reviewed by customer ID: AEQX43KQN4J80
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