This is simply one of the best books I've come across. I saw it first on a daily web mail I get and went out at lunch to get it. I never do that! This story of a family in the vicinity of Salem and all its sadness really caught me up. The main character begins the book by saying she's crazy. The whole family is.

She's right! Her mother lives on an island with a group of persecutes women who make lace by hand. Her aunt owns a tea room in the town where the lace is sold and where the witches meet.. There is a long back story which is so interesting, I could have been it's own book.

Then the unthinkable happens. The aunt is found dead but no one believes it was natural causes. Could it have been her son-in-law, a self-proclaimed preacher weho is leading the residents against her? Was it her sister?

This tale will take you to Massachusetts, California and places beyond and between. The end wil leave you - as it did me - asking "What!!??!!" ( )

This book grabbed me right from the first few pages. I very very much enjoyed reading this book. I loved the graceful way each main character was developed. It reminded me of my mother who always tried to teach me that there is much good in everyone (at least mostly everyone). The book covered some tough subjects, but yet it felt peaceful. I loved the lessons about Salem and witchcraft. I appreciated the reminder that witches are not satanists or voodoos! I feel like this could so easily be a true story! I loved it!

I want to go to Salem! I want to have more lace! ( )

Towner has never got over the death of her twin sister, and after a battle with mental illness, flees the city of Salem and her family for the anonymity of California. When her beloved aunt is reported missing however, she must return.

This book intrigued me from the first page, and seemed to promise much. The plot was certainly complex and it kept me quite intrigued until the end. However, I found some of it a bit contrived and felt that the author had too many interesting characters that she could not then fully develop without turning the book into a saga.
I likes the gentleness with which the main characters were treated. Obviously heavily weighed down, both Towner and Rafferty- the local cop who befriends first Towner's aunt, and then Towner herself, are likeable and believable characters who have personalities and lives outside their respective conditions (Mental illness & recovering alcoholic). I also liked the underlying themes of toleance and acceptance and the way this story was played out in the modern city of Salem, with it's history of anything but.
Overall, an enjoyable and interesting read. ( )

"Each Reader must choose a piece of lace. It is hers for life. It might be a pattern handed down through generations or a piece cosen by the reader for its beauty or familiarity. Many Readers prefer the handmade laces, particularly the laces of old Ispwich or the new circular pieces made by the women of Yellow Dog Island. - The Lace Reader's Guide" p. 6 of The Lace Reader

I'm not even sure where to begin with this review other than to say that I found this book to be an amazing read. The Lace Reader begins with the reader meeting Towner, the main character, who admits freely that she lies and that her name is really Sophya. Towner is going back to her hometown as her Great Aunt Eva is missing. While there she will be forced to confront her demons from the past and work through the issues that are still haunting her today. The women in Towner's family are all lace readers and can read the future in the lace. But something has caused Towner to vow never to read lace again...

Oh my goodness...how I enjoyed this book! From the very beginning, I was swept up in the story that the author had written and the atmosphere that she had created. I didn't quite know what to make of Towner, I mean she admits right from the beginning that she is crazy and that she lies. So I wasn't sure at any point in the book if she was telling the truth which made for an interesting read. I ended up just letting the author take me for a ride and what a ride it was! The story was told from different viewpoints at time but it didn't detract from the story whatsoever. In fact, it made me feel even closer to the main characters. I ended up caring about Towner even though I couldn't entirely trust the story that she was telling me. And the ending of this book...blew me away. Seriously, I might have seen pieces of it coming but really in the end when I closed the book I was stunned. I think that this would be a great book to read with a book group and have a discussion over. I myself would love to hear what other readers thought of the ending of this book.

All in all, I found this to be an amazing read and will probably go on to my top reads of 2009. I'm pretty sure I've gushed enough over this book...so go pick it up and give it a try. I doubt that you'll be disappointed. Highly recommended. ( )

I found this story a little convoluted...so many characters with uncertain motivations; I kept getting them confused, especially the women. I just felt the characters were not developed enough to understand why they behaved and thought the way they did. One subplot would begin and then just sort of drop with no resolution. And the twist in the end did not really resolve things satisfactorily, sort of rushed to end the story. However, after all of this complaining, I did finish the book, so there you go... ( )