Novels Now

Richly Textured Like a Piece of Good Lace

Towner Whitney returns to her hometown of Salem, MA from California after the mysterious disappearance of her Aunt Eva. Towner comes from a family of women who can read the future through lace. The family has buried secrets that unfold throughout the novel, including the truth about Towner’s twin sister’s death.

Towner starts off by stating that her real first name is Sophya. She say’s “Never believe me. I lie all the time…”

When I requested an advance reader’s copy of this novel, I was under the mistaken impression that it was both about modern day Salem and an historical fiction about the Salem witch Trials. Though the historical was only slightly touched upon, the story did not disappoint!

This richly textured novel paints a vivid portrait of modern day Salem and how self-proclaimed witches live today. With a cast of eccentric characters and themes abound such as abuse, mental illness, witches, forgiveness, etc this is a real page-turner! This is sure to become a classic. Highly recommended!

4.5/5

The Lace Reader must stare at the piece of lace until the pattern blurs and the face of the Seeker disappears completely behind the veil. When the eyes begin to fill with tears and the patience is long exhausted, there will appear a glimpse of something not quite seen. In this moment an image will begin to form…in the space between what is real and what is only imagined. -From The Lace Reader, page 1-

Brunonia Barry’s debut novel, The Lace Reader, is an unusual story which (like the lace which her Great Aunt Eva ‘reads’) is difficult to understand until the final pages. Part mystery with a literary twist exploring women’s issues (incest, mental illness, and family dynamics), the novel evolves slowly, developing from multiple story threads which all come back to the central character - Towner Whitney. The novel opens in Towner’s point of view, and the reader is warned: ‘Never believe me. I lie all the time.‘

Towner Whitney lives in California, but is motivated to return to her birthplace in Salem, Massachusetts when her brother calls to report Towner’s great aunt missing. Once back in New England, Towner must unravel the mystery of Eva’s disappearance while coming to terms with her own shattered past. Salem is recognized historically for the famous witch trials of 1692 and is an apt setting for a book which spins around precognition and the idea of intuition. As the story unfolds, it becomes difficult to ascertain what is real and what is only imagined. Barry alternates point of view from chapter to chapter - something which adds depth to her story and helps to fill in the missing pieces of Towner’s childhood.

Barry’s writing is strong, creating a gothic feel to the book. She steers away from cliche characters, instead giving us complex individuals. Despite these strengths, the book is not without its weaknesses.

At times the plot felt thin to me - and although the ending has a surprise twist, many times I was able to predict an event before it unfolded. I also wondered about the accuracy of police procedure when one character ‘disappears’ and a full-blown search is immediately begun. In most adult missing person cases searches do not occur for at least 48 hours as often it is assumed the person chose to disappear. I also thought it unlikely that a police department would assist an abusive man in finding an adult woman who had disappeared. Additionally, I picked up one geographical flaw which made me question the author’s reliability in other areas. A person residing in Sonoma County, California would not drive ‘up the coast to see it.‘ Rather they must follow a non-coastal route south to San Francisco. This seemed like a pretty obvious fact to get wrong.

The Lace Reader has an aggressive marketing campaign with a release date of July 29, 2008. Early reviews of the book have been mostly positive. I found it a quick and engaging read despite its flaws.

Rated: 3.5/5.

There is lace in every living thing: the bare branches of winter, the patterns of clouds, the surface of water as it ripples in the breeze…Even a wild dog’s matted fur shows a lacy pattern if you look at it closely. - The Lace Reader- pg 101

Sophya “Towner” Whitney grew up around Salem, Massachusetts. She comes from an influential family with a long history there. She and all of the women in her family read lace and can see the future.

When she was 17, her sister died and Towner had to get away from Salem so she fled to California. She hasn’t been back since. However, a call from home saying that her beloved Aunt Eva is missing brings Towner back and she must confront all that she thought she had left behind.

This book is part historical fiction and part cozy mystery(as defined here)with a little psychological and supernatural mystery thrown in for good measure. It delves quite a bit into the past of Salem, Ma. which, as most people know, is the place where the witch trials took place in the 1600s. The mystery part comes when Eva Whitney mysteriously disappears and is eventually found dead and we follow the switchback trail of mystery to the surprising conclusion

I actually passed through Salem very briefly about 4 or 5 years ago and had talked with my husband about visiting again at some point. Now, it’s something I would like to do more than ever.

For me, this book was not a heart-pounding thriller. I felt that the author gave out the details of the story at a leisurely pace. This was fine with me because I absolutely loved the way that she described the thoughts and feelings of the characters as well as her vivid descriptions of the landscape. As an extra benefit, the mystery was excellent as well.

This book was a pleasure to read. The writing is lyrical and the characterization of the Whitney women is ethereal yet it skillfully deals with the issues of grief, abuse and family relationships. I highly recommend reading this one. (4.5/5)