The Lace Reader by Brunonia Barry

The Lace Reader, originally caught my attention due to it’s original title, but on further inspection about the book, I realised that more than its title would interest me.

Towner Whiteney returns home when she receives news that her Great Aunt Eva has disappeared. Towner’s home is the town of Salem, famous for the Salem witch trials held over three centuries ago, the town is now a tourist attraction also famous for its lace.

Eva is a Lace Reader, she can see the future with the aid of lace. Immediately the town is on red alert when Eva disappears, as she is the last person to disappear without having a reason to, that is unless there is something more sinister involved. Returning back to Salem is a difficult thing for Towner, like Eva, Towner is also a Lace reader, but she doesnt use her “gift” so returning to Salem is a difficult thing for her, especailly when she was fifteen and she caught a glimpse of her own future, a future that didnt include her twin sister Lyndley.

As she returns to help with the search for Eva, who was like a mother to her. Towner has to face up to the people and her past that made her flee the town in the first place, such as the Calvinists. A religious group set up by her reformed uncle Cal and his followers who believe Eva and all her friends are witches, as they try to perform excorisms on them, which to the delight of the tourists think its all part of the towns attraction.

As time passes and the search for Eva continues, Towner begins to wonder if returning home was such a good idea, after losing her twin, her missing aunt and now she becomes the focus of some unwanted attention.

I enjoyed this book, its terribly sad in some parts and your heart would go out to Towner in some instances but it did make a very interesting read, with the flashbacks to Towner as a teenager just as things started to go wrong in her life.

I always had a curiousity about the Salem witch-trails and this book was able to give me a little bit of an insight into it. There is also a guide and tips throughout the story about lace reading which gives the story an added gothic feel to it.

The lace reader is definately an unique tale.

You can buy [amazon_link id=”0007345828″ target=”_blank” ] The Lace Reader on Amazon [/amazon_link] and other good bookshops.