The Lace Reader in ReadingGroupGuides.com

Jul 24, 2008 Serena rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Brunonia Barry's The Lace Reader takes place in Salem, Mass., with a still point and a spiral of events that take place during Sophya "Towner" Whitney's journey from childhood to adulthood and inside her mind. Readers know from the beginning that Towner lies and is an unreliable narrator.

"The perfect line of the first-floor windows gleams back at me from the winter porch, I catch my reflection in the wavy glass, and I'm surprised by it. When I left here, I was seventeen. I haven't bee back for f Brunonia Barry's The Lace Reader takes place in Salem, Mass., with a still point and a spiral of events that take place during Sophya "Towner" Whitney's journey from childhood to adulthood and inside her mind. Readers know from the beginning that Towner lies and is an unreliable narrator.

"The perfect line of the first-floor windows gleams back at me from the winter porch, I catch my reflection in the wavy glass, and I'm surprised by it. When I left here, I was seventeen. I haven't bee back for fifteen years. I knew my reflection in the glass when I was seventeen, but today I don't recognize the woman I see there." (Page 12)

The death of her sister weighs heavily on Towner's mind, sends her to a mental hospital, and forces her to move to the Pacific coast. She only returns to Salem when she learns her Aunt Eva is missing. Barry weaves a psychological mystery for readers, leading them into the dark alleyways of Towner's memories, seeking the truth about her past and her family. Who is her mother? What happened to her sister? Where is her father? And why in a family of lace readers is she the one that has shunned the practice?

"Sometimes, when you look back, you can point to a time when your world shifts and heads in another direction. In lace reading this is called the 'still point.' Eva says it's the point around which everything pivots and real patterns start to emerge." (Page 24)

May, Towner's mother, refuses to leave her island in Salem Harbor, even for funerals, but she helps abused women and those in need, helping them learn how to make Ipswich lace. Aunt Emma lives on the island, but remains detached from reality following her abusive relationship with Cal Boynton.

Barry's characters are human in their frailties, passions, and reactions to traumatizing events. Parts of the novel are narrated by Rafferty, the police officer in town, and parts of The Lace Reader are narrated by May, Towner's mother, which can cause readers to pause. However, readers will love the how the tunnels beneath Salem resemble the crevices of Towner's mind, and when each page turns, readers and Towner will emerge from the darkness into the light of the bay. ...more

Like · see review

Oct 13, 2009 Stacie rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: book-club

I only gave this 4 stars because at times I got confused during the story, but otherwise this was a great read. Even though I don't believe in fortune telling or witches or lace reading, I found the storyline very fascinating. As someone who used to work with victims of abuse, the author did a great job portraying their emotions and thoughts. The last 100 pages of the book got extremely intense and I could not put it down until the end. I was grateful that the author left the story with a hopefu ...more

Like · see review

Jan 11, 2011 Cara rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011, book-club

Enjoyable characters with that touch of suspense about the past. Easy-to-read, especially the exciting ending. Added Salem to my list of places to see before I die, I liked the portrayed atmosphere. Nice unexpected twists and turns too.

Like · see review

Dec 28, 2009 Julie Johnson rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I was not expecting the ending at all. I was confused throughout the book as to what was reality and what was in the main character's imagination, but I think that's the author's intention. Good book! ...more

1 like · Like · see review

Aug 30, 2010 Teresa rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2010

This dishonest narrator tells you right up front she's a liar and crazy. So it puts a very different spin on this story of a dysfunctional family with twins. ...more

Like · see review

Aug 24, 2008 Robin rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, 2008-list

This is a book that languished on my nightstand for months before I finally got around to reading it. Once it started being reviewed, I really wanted to finish it so I could understand what the buzz was all about. So I pushed through it and I have to say that although it was a fascinating story with a well-known, fairly close by setting (Salem, MA) I was underwhelmed by this one.

Like · see review