Shelfari: The Site for Books & ReadersShelfari Logo

The Lace Reader: A Novel
 

Lace Reader, The: A Novel

by Brunonia Barry

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... (read more)

Top tags: salem,  fiction,  lace reading,  lit fic,  mental illness (all tags)

Readers

Groups

  • 50 Book Challenge! Discussion Group
  • Women Speak Discussion Group
  • Just Do It Discussion Group

Other Reviews

Amazon Reviews (5)
 

Most Helpful Reviews

Liked It

bookappeal
  • Rated 4 stars

“Towner Whitney returns home to Salem, Mass., when a dear friend goes missing. Parts of Towner's life are missing too - memory loss from a traumatic event - and the reader is left to discern what is true about Towner's memories. Back home, Towner reflects on her childhood, the sister who committed suicide, and the family's history of reading lace, a method of fortune-telling while working with a local cop in trying to solve the mystery of the disappearance.

Interesting detail about...”

bookappeal’s full review »
more reviews »

Didn’t Like It

fsinusas
  • Rated 2 stars

“I'm disappointed, as I fell for the hype and thought The Lace Reader would be a more historical tale that spanned centuries from colonial times to the present and include more detail on Salem. Instead it was much more a personal tale of tragedy and hope, with serviceable prose. More descriptive language and insight into the human condition would have made it less selfish and absorbed.

Would recommend The Mermaid Chair by Sue Monk Kidd as it has a similar flavor, for those who liked...”

fsinusas’s full review »
more reviews »
Community:
  • Rated 3.864865 stars
Amazon:
  • Rated 4.5 stars
  

Newest Comments

  • JoAnne K

    joanne k said:

    “Am I the only one who wasn't impressed with this? Based on the location and hype, I was expecting it to be a lot witchier. I didn't ever warm to Towner felt her relationships were strangely muddled. Could not understand Rafferety's falling for her. I expected the novel to address the consequences of having a "gift", and how someone would come to terms with it in the face of a personal tragedy. If that book is out there - let me know! ”

    posted Wednesday, August 20 2008 ( | view 1 reply )
© 2008 Tastemakers, Inc. | Portions of Shelfari.com are Copyright © 1996-2008 Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. Terms & Conditions | Privacy Policy | Copyright Policy