The Lacemaker

After years of hearing praise for historical novelist Laura Frantz, I finally took the plunge with An Uncommon Woman. I liked it so much that I immediately downloaded the audiobook of The Lacemaker, a book I knew would be great for my 4th of July reading. I was right! Set in 1775-1776 Williamsburg, the book encompasses the earliest days of rebellion. Main characters, Liberty Lawson and Noble Rynalt are fictional, but Frantz includes historical figures like Patrick Henry to give this book authenticity. Liberty, formerly known as Lady Elizabeth Lawson, daughter of the Lt. Governor of the colony, has definite Tory roots. But her mother’s sense of justice and her own desire for freedom, set her on a course counter to her father’s show more beliefs and her own place in society. Liberty and Noble will capture your heart as they negotiate the perils of the fight for independence and their own personal journey towards love. Yes, there is romance mixed in with spying and sedition — a great combo for fans who want a love story blended into their history. I listened to the audiobook in the days leading up to the July 4th holiday — a great choice to remember what the day is all about. The narrator did an admirable job capturing the rich mixture of voices that made up Virginia colony.

There is no doubt as to why The Lacemaker won a Christy award. Frantz’s wonderful storytelling, strong characters, and meaningful spiritual message make this one a must read.

Highly Recommended.

Audience: adults.

(I purchased the audiobook from Audible. All opinions expressed are mine alone.) show less

It's hard to put into words exactly how much I loved this book. At first I was a little hesitant -- I'd just read another book about lacemaking, set around the same time frame, and wondered if it was too soon -- but whatevs; several folks in a FB group had raved about it.

OH MY.

This book is fantastic. I've been to Williamsburg a handful of times, and loved seeing it come to life again in my head through the book. Frantz is a master storyteller, and the amount of research she did is evident. Relatable characters, gripping plot -- I didn't want it to end!

I gotta say I was pleasantly surprised with this one. I’m always a bit hesitant when approaching a new Christian author; yet Frantz is definitely one of the higher rated and reviewed ones. She’s able to balance her Christian elements with a great story and well-rounded characters. While the ending felt a bit rushed and so lacked a certain punch, I’d still say this was a fantastic novel.

The history is why I was interested in the first place. Anything set during the American Revolution will draw my interest, my being fascinated by that specific era from childhood. Frantz does a great job in getting her details right, giving us a window into a rarely explored part of the Revolution, that of early 1770s Virginia. The early rumblings show more of such individuals as Patrick Henry and his compatriots set a simmering cauldron of resentment and republicanism against which our main story is set.

Liberty and her dilemma are the real meat of the story. An endearing mix of vulnerability and fortitude, she gives us an intimate window at a woman caught in the winds of war and change. She draws strength from her Christian faith and her ability to adapt from gently reared gentleman’s daughter to simple seamstress. I felt she was a relatable character through which to tell the story.

While I didn’t feel as strong a connection to Noble, I still enjoyed his rock solid sense of honor and commitment to his cause, his Welsh estate members, and Liberty. The way these two play off each other was just beautiful, gently flowing through the turbulence of revolutionary America and keeping both steady in its rocky waters.

Story wise, Frantz had a great flow going. With a steady buildup of suspense and coming together relationship wise, I never found myself bored. I continuously wanted to know how Liberty was dealing with her new station in life and how she dealt with the warring factions of pre-revolutionary Virginia.

However, the ending felt extremely rushed to me. I don’t want to give any details away; but within a short time period, we had people in danger, rescue, marriage, and everything‘s resolution. And when I say short timeframe, I’m speaking like a couple of chapters, pages only. With all the detail and build up the author put into the rest of the story, I felt like the ending gave little pay off.

Even so, I still found enjoyment in my introduction to Frantz. She handles her characters well, developing them with hidden depths and wells of strength. The story is strong against a well-developed historical backdrop, sucking me in from page 1. Despite that lackluster ending, I’d still recommend this tale for any lovers of historical fiction and the American Revolution.

Note: Book received for free via Library Thing giveaway in exchange for an honest review. show less

I really enjoyed Laura Frantz 's new book, The Lacemaker. It is a good story set during the Revolutionary War.

The story centers around Lady Elizabeth and Noble Rynallt. Elizabeth is a kind-hearted girl, but a bit spoiled. She is pledged to marry a man of her father's choosing. She does not love the man, but feels it her duty to obey her father. Elizabeth's mother is unwell and on the surface, has been living in England for her health. Deep down, Elizabeth knows that her father conveniently sent her mother away to prevent her from writing pro-independence poetry. Noble and Elizabeth meet at a party and Noble is drawn to her, even though she is spoken for.

Just before her wedding, patriots march on the city and destroy all future plans show more for her life. Shunned by her friends, neighbors, and abandoned by her father, Elizabeth discovers she is made of sterner stuff. She leaves her ransacked home, changes her name to Liberty, finds a job, and supports herself making lace. Noble Rynallt is the only friend she has left. Eventually, friendship turns to love. But the ugly side of the fight for freedom leaves Liberty trapped in the middle.

Laura Frantz had written many good stories filled with history, rich settings, likable characters and happy endings. The Lacemaker is no different. I read it through in one sitting, anxious to get to the end. If you like historical fiction and Laura Frantz, you will enjoy The Lacemaker. show less

**special note: I received an ARC in exchange for a review.**

Laura Frantz impresses me with her writing. She makes me wish I could jump into the story and join the action. If you like historical fiction, you will have no problem liking this book. I love stories about Colonial America and the War for Independence, so this book was definitely my cup of tea! (Pun intended.) The characters are engaging and very passionate about their loyalties to the King or to the Patriot cause.

I look forward to reading more of her work!

The Lacemaker by Laura Frantz takes readers back to 1775 in the Virginia Colony. Lady Elisabeth Lawson is the only child of the Earl of Stirling who is the lieutenant governor for the area. Lady Elisabeth is betrothed to Miles Cullen Roth which was arranged by her father. Lady Elisabeth has led a privileged and sheltered life with her path laid out before her by her dictatorial father. The night before her wedding, she wakes up to glass breaking and a crowd of men (rebels) in her home. The revolution has started, and her father has fled along with the Lord Dunsmore (his wife, children, and their servants). The one bright spot is Miles calls of their engagement (the cad). Elisabeth must now find a way to make it on her own. Patriot Noble show more Rynallt takes Elisabeth into his home while she decides on her next move. She changes her name to Liberty and obtains a position as seamstress at the Raleigh while selling her handmade lace at the local market. When an opportunity to aid the war effort presents itself, Liberty must make a decision. Will she stay loyal to the British or will she side the Patriots? How will Liberty fare during these tumultuous times?

The Lacemaker is nicely written and the author captures the time-period with her descriptions of the town, clothing, mannerisms, attitudes and speech. You can tell that Ms. Frantz did her research for The Lacemaker. The author provides vivid and detailed descriptions. It allows me to picture the scenes in my head. While I enjoy the historical details, it does slow down the pace of the novel (she needed to find a balance). I was happy to see the pace pick up in the second half of the book. I thought the characters were realistic and well-developed. I liked how the author incorporated her fictional characters with famous historical figures (Patrick Henry, George Washington). Liberty found herself in a difficult position. She is caught between two worlds. One wrong move and Liberty could have found herself in jail (or much worse). The romance between Liberty and Noble does not progress beyond friendship until later in the book. The attraction between them is visible from the moment they meet, but circumstances prevent them from moving forward until later in the story. The romance between the pair is heavily featured in the latter half of the novel. The ending felt incomplete and rushed. We live through each day with Liberty and then in the end months go by. Also, the historical details are missing. I found it deficient. It seemed like the author ran out of steam. The end did not live up to the rest of the book. The cover for The Lacemaker is just lovely. It caught my attention right away which led me to read the excerpt and ultimately, the book. Readers who enjoy historical romance novels will be delighted with The Lacemaker. show less

This is the first time I've read a book by Laura Frantz. I am very pleased to say she is now on my favorites list. The book is set at the beginning of the American Revolution. The story flow was excellent. The characters very well developed and believable. It was a review copy and so I will not comment on the editing, except to say, knowing that, I was not disappointed. I will not give a synopsis as you can read that for yourself. I will say if you enjoy Christian Historical Fiction, you will enjoy this book. Not a pushy, preachy type of Christian book, just characters with strong faith. This was a free copy I requested for early review. The review is given freely.