MADreads

Ipswich lace and the witches of Salem

September 3rd, 2008 Molly - Central

I’ve heard of fortune telling by reading tea leaves, palms, tarot cards, crystal balls and Ouija boards, but reading patterns in lace is new to me.  The Lace Reader by Brunonia Barry features the Whitney women of Salem and their psychic ability to read lace.  This talent is complex–not only must the reader recognize the patterns in the lace, they must also decode what the patterns mean.  The main character, Towner Whitney, has been away from Salem for almost 15 years, since the death of her twin sister.  She blames her sister’s death on a bad reading of the lace and has reluctantly returned because her great aunt Eva is missing.

There are so many captivating elements in this book; I hardly know where to begin.  Each chapter of the book starts with a snippet from Eva’s The Lace Reader’s Guide and provides historical and cultural references to Ipswich lace.  Much of the story takes place in Salem, on fictional Yellow Dog Island and in the water in between.  Salem is a fascinating backdrop for a story, with Wiccans and tourists and protesting Calvinists on every corner.  And finally, the Whitney family dynamic provides a tangled web of intrigue and heartache around which most of the action in the story takes place.

Many characters in this novel possess some kind of clairvoyant talent and Towner’s psychic abilities are far stronger than she (and the reader) understands.  Towner’s memories of growing up in Salem and her childhood relationships haunt her.  The mystery of her past along with the present day mystery surrounding the disappearances of her great aunt and a teen runaway pull the reader along in this complicated tale of women, water and what may be hiding in the lace.

Entry Filed under: Mystery, Recreational Fiction