Review: The Lace Makers of Glenmara by Heather Barbieri

Each step she took left a mark, some visible, some not, marks that said, I was here, I exist.  That was one of the reasons people went away, wasn’t it, to forget, to reinvent themselves?

She’d been a quiet person at home, had let the gregarious people in her life — Ethan, her friend Ella, even her mother — take the lead, happy to be the soft-spoken sidekick who offered the occasional sage remark, witty aside.

She was on her own now.  It felt strange, yes, but she was ready for something new, to be someone new.

(from The Lace Makers of Glenmara, page 5)

I absolutely adored The Lace Makers of Glenmara, the story of Kate Robinson and her solo trip to Ireland after a break up, a career failure, and the recent death of her mother.  After her bus breaks down and she walks for miles, she goes for a ride in William the Traveler’s wagon and ends up in the village of Glenmara.  She happens upon two middle-aged women selling tea towels and other items decorated in handmade lace, and Bernie — a lonely widow — immediately takes a liking to Kate, recognizing that she is lost and troubled.  Much to the chagrin of her best friend, Aileen, Bernie takes Kate into her home.  It’s not long before Kate feels connected to Glenmara and its people, and soon Bernie and the other Lace Makers are teaching her how to make lace.

Glenmara is a struggling village where people fight to make ends meet, and Kate, a seamstress, has an idea to sell lingerie decorated with the lace made by these women.  A plan is hatched to deviate from the traditional lace designs and turn bras and underwear into works of art — and help these women uncover their inner beauty at the same time.  However, Glenmara’s ultra-conservative priest is none too happy about the lingerie business and hopes to run Kate out of the village.

Heather Barbieri’s writing beautifully captures the romance of small Irish villages, and I couldn’t help but fall in love with the people of Glenmara — especially the old men Denny and Niall and their bantering.

“Oh, the times we had.  The dancing.  The singing.”  He broke into a tune, a deafening baritone version of “Irish Rose.”

Denny winced.  “Jaysus, man, what do you want to do, take what little hearing I have left?”

“You’re jealous, because I should have been on the stage.  The girls have always gone mad for my voice.”

“Mad, yes, but not in the way you suppose.  Your serenade won’t win the ladies; it will frighten them away.”

“You have no appreciation for the arts,” Niall sniffed.

“The arts?  You sound like a foghorn.  You could plant yourself on the pier and bring the boats in on misty nights.”

“If I weren’t so old and drunk, I’d pop you one for that.”  Niall waved a shaky fist.  (pages 39-40)

But the focus is on Kate and the Lace Makers, each of them lost in some way and hoping to find themselves.  Kate is in need of a fresh start, and Bernie needs some companionship.  Aileen feels helpless when it comes to her rebel daughter and her stagnant marriage, and her sister, Moira, needs to escape an abusive husband.  Oona is grieving the loss of her breasts due to cancer, and Colleen is worried that her fisherman husband will be lost at sea.  Despite their troubles, each of these women are strong and brave in their own way, and new and old friendships and their confidence-boosting, lacy undergarments help them heal and evolve.

Although a tad predictable, I couldn’t get enough of these characters.  Barbieri perfectly details their sorrows and triumphs, and I couldn’t help but like them all — even the bitter, cranky Aileen.  As a crafter, I loved reading about the ways needlework creates a community and fosters teamwork.  I loved Barbieri’s descriptions of Irish mythology and folklore.  The Lace Makers of Glenmara is the perfect blend of romance, friendship, and humor, and I was sad to say goodbye to these characters at the end.  I also realized that I must visit Ireland one day.

Courtesy of the publisher, I have one copy of The Lace Makers of Glenmara up for grabs. Just leave a comment letting me know why you want to read the book, along with your e-mail address, by Sunday, July 25, 2010, at 11:59 p.m. EST. Because the publisher is shipping the books, the giveaway is open to U.S. and Canada addresses only.

**Please note that this giveaway is now closed**

Thanks to TLC Book Tours for allowing me to participate in The Lace Makers of Glenmara blog tour. Check out the other tour stops here

Disclosure: I received a copy of The Lace Makers of Glenmara from HarperColllins for review purposes. I am an Amazon associate.

© 2010 Anna Horner of Diary of an Eccentric. All Rights Reserved. Please do not reproduce or republish content without permission.