The Lace Reader
Ratings12
Average rating3.1
15
Ratings12
Average rating3.1
The Lace Reader (2006) is a novel by Brunonia Barry. The novel is set in Salem, Massachusetts, the American town famous for the Salem witch trials. A crucial plot device is the Ipswich lace that the protagonist's family would make.
The novel came to be well known for its unusual route to mainstream publishing. Originally self-published by the author it became a local success story, got rave reviews in many places including Publishers Weekly, and was eventually picked up by the US branch of HarperCollins in a multimillion-dollar deal.
Featured Series
2 primary booksSalem is a 2-book series with 2 primary works first released in 2006 with contributions by Brunonia Barry.
Reviews with the most likes.
I have a lot of respect for Brunonia Barry for publishing this on her own and making it a huge success, but basically I think this book could have used an editor. The pacing was uneven, the point of view off, and the characters hard to connect with at first. I love crazy endings and think I would have loved this one if I had not been on the lookout for it. I would like to read something else by this author, if she publishes more.
Not the book I expected. I was excited to see that this was based in Salem, Mass. and expected the lace reading to be a big part of the plot. Instead I encountered a weak willed mental patient who never develops into anything else and avoids lace reading. The explanation for her avoidance is sketchy, only sparing a few details and a journal entry of a tragic event, but never telling us what the reading included. The plot also tends to jump around, barely holding onto consistency with Towner's point of view. As I have said with many bestsellers, I'm not sure how this became one.
