The Lace Reader

Towner is an example of an unreliable narrator. From the beginning you suspect that her judgments of the events from the past and the present are distorted. The ending was a surprise that I didnt see coming. It was riveting as much as it was hard to stomach. I would recommend this book to anyone familiar with the North Shore and Salem lifestyle and history, but only if you can stand a virulent plot thread of meanness, murder, and the foulest of abuse. The authors genius is the tapestry of images that is woven as a back drop to the story. The Eastern Yacht Club, Hamilton Hall, Derby Street, the witches, the tourists, the common, even the restoring of the ship off Pickering Wharf, it is all there and described so well that I could smell the sea air mixed with street vender sausage and peppers.

The Lace Reader I found to be a wonderful book.
Sophya Whitney as a character was true to her word.I never tell the truth, and Im crazy.
Well Im not so sure about that..Interweaving the New England coastal towns and
Especially Salem, is clearly an inside look we dont normally see, unless you live there.
If you love stories about New England this is a must read.
Brunonia has captured the weaving of the Lace of life in Salem, then and now.
The narrator Alyssa Bresnahan does a fabulous job with the characters, the pace, and the intensity of the telling of it. The opportunity to be transported into another time, and be in the present at the same time is enchanting. I was sorry to have it end.

A compelling story with a good, surprising ending. The type of book that leaves you mulling it over in your head long after the narrative has ended.

As a crafter, I chose this book because of its apparent topic of lace making. However, I found that the story doesn't particularly pertain to or revolve around the handcrafting, but rather uses the tradition and history of handmade lace as a rich background from which to draw parallels and metaphors. It's artfully done.

The narrator of the audio version does a great job with the voices, including older women, cops, and adolescents. My one complaint: she doesn't pause enough between sentences or paragraphs, so it's a little difficult to find a good stopping point.

I heard an interview with the author on NPR and it sounded as if this might be a great listen. I found the structure somewhat contrived and I didn't quite enjoy it as much as I thought I would. I usually like this kind of novel and perhaps I should listen to it again. A lot of 'he said, 'I said, 'she said' narrative which does not do well when listening to a book.

I wasn't sure that I'd enjoy this one. The book has gotten so much hype, and I often find that overhyped books tend to disappoint. It also sounded a bit like hocus-pocus chick lit (e.g., Ya-Ya Sisterhood), but, thankfully, that description didn't fit at all. It's a tough one to place in terms of genre: part historical fiction, part mystery/suspense, part romance, part psychological study. And yet all those threads are knit together in a very engaging plot. Barry also cleverly turns place into character as the town, the island, and the surrounding area gain significance to the story and the narrator. The reader was a good choice, too.

An ordinary book sewn together with implausible events and stereotypical characters. There is the misunderstood girl who may or may not be crazy, a gallant police officer who attempts to help, a cult that is after her family, witches who are everyday women, a family mystery, and a conventional ending. Lace reading is a good hook, but Barry doesn't follow through with intersesting predictions. The cult does improbable things and is accused of everything bad except global warming. The surprise at the end is no great shakes, in fact it made the main character, Sophia (Towner), a less reliable narrator.
The best part of The Lace Reader is that it was first self-published then popularized through word of mouth amongst book clubs.

I found the idea that the intricacies of lace could hold clues to one's future rather intrigueing. The book captured my imagination and did not disappoint. I did not suspect what the end would be until I was almost there; it made me go back to to start so I could understnad everything better. I had forgotten what Towner had said about lying.

The voice was perfect, it moved with the action well.

The ending, the twist, everything.

The protagonist.

The ending.

If you can navigate the irritating quotes from the "Lace Readers Guide" without purposely running your boat into the rocks, just to end it all, and get to the final chapters, you will be well rewarded and want to read this book again.

The book was wonderful. Listen once, and then listen to it again with a new understanding after "Reading the Lace".