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Book Review: The Ruins of Lace by Iris Anthony & Giveaway (US/Canada)

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The Ruins of Lace by Iris Anthony is not a story I will soon forget and it is one that I really enjoyed. There isn’t a lot of historical fiction  that has to do with lace and when I saw this one I was automatically drawn to it just as I am to lace itself. For me lace is intricate, delicate, and beautiful and I find its patterns as fascinating as I did this story. The Ruins of Lace is a tale wrought with obsession, treachery, greed, and loyalty in seventeenth century France with lace smuggling at it’s center and it’s effects on the people.

Lisette is a young girl when she accidentally sets fire to a lace cuff of a nobleman visiting at her home.  Unfortunately he doesn’t make allowances for young children’s mistakes and as her family didn’t have the money to reimburse the Count for the lace they ended up paying dearly for it in other ways in the years to follow.  Alexandre is a young man that came to live with Lisette’s family and has always harbored a fierce love for her even though Lisette herself feels unworthy of anyone’s love after all the trouble she’s caused.  Ultimately the Count demands as payment for keeping the families secrets that they smuggle him lace and this sets Alexandre off on a journey that will change not only his life but others as well.

On the other side is Katharina who has been making lace since she was a young girl.  She is the best lace maker at the convent but after all the years of needlework her eyesight is pretty much gone.  If you can not see, you can not make lace.  So far she’s been able to hide it as she’s been working on the same pattern for a long time and can do it by memory and feel.  Her sister Heilwich has been trying to get enough money together to buy her sister back because she knows what happens to the girls who are still young by the time they can no longer see anymore or are crippled up from the position they keep all day.  They are thrown out from the convent and left to fend for themselves and for the most part are picked up by very undesirable men and used for unmentionable purposes.  Heilwich will go to almost any extent to protect her sister from this fate.

This story is told from seven points of view, including even a dog (which at first was not a part of the story I liked), which can be a bit confusing in the beginning but quickly manages to weave itself together.  All of these people, in one way or another, are involved in lace smuggling or the desire to have lace.  I found it amazing that lace was ever even forbidden and have to admit to not knowing this as truth until reading this novel so I most definitely learned quite a bit reading this book.  That brings me to the part of the story that I was most drawn to and that was Katharina’s life.  I was horrified at the treatment of the young girls who were from poorer families that were forced into making the lace as they were essentially robbed of their lives.  By the time Katharina was thirty she was blind and so hunched over that she seemed to be an old woman.  I was fascinated though with the making of lace and the descriptions that the author uses were so vivid that I felt I could see and feel the delicate pieces of lace slipping through my fingers.

The Ruins of Lace is a fantastic story which is somewhat dark at times and yet funny in a few places as well.  Iris Anthony has a beautiful writing style that simply flows from the page and I found myself being lifted away with this tale.  I really hope to see more from this author because I wouldn’t hesitate to read another of her books which of course means I also wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this one!

 

GIVEAWAY DETAILS (US/Canada)

I have one copy of The Ruins of Lace by Iris Anthony to share with my readers.  To enter…

  • For 1 entry leave me a comment entering the giveaway.
  • For 2 entries, follow my blog.  If you already do let me know so I can pass the extra entry on to you as well.
  • For 3 entries, blog or tweet this giveaway!

This giveaway is open to US and Canadian residents (no PO boxes) and I will draw for the winner on Saturday, November 10/12.  Good luck!

Source:  Review copy provided by Sourcebooks via NetGalley.  No compensation was received for this review and all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  5. I’ve had my eye on this book – I love historical fiction and I love reading about the trades that seem to be a lost art today.

    I’m a GFC follower – Kristin T.

    Thanks for this giveaway!!!
    k2reader(at)gmail(dot)com

  6. This sounds fascinating. I had no idea that lace had such a history. Thanks for the giveaway.

    GFC follower

  7. I really want to read this one. Historical fiction from this time period is my favorite.

  11. Love historical fiction. This books sounds wonderful and the kind of book I would enjoy reading.
    Thanks for a great contest…

  16. I have read books about lace makers before, and I really am excited about this one. The fact that the story is told from so many points of view is also very interesting. It sounds rather fast paced and intriguing. I would love to read this one at some point, so I will go ahead and enter! Thanks, Dar!

    zibilee(at)figearo(dot)net

  18. Obsession, treachery, greed, and loyalty…what more could you want? Thanks for the chance to win. I’m a follower.

  21. I have always been fascinated by the ancient art of lace making. When I lived in Europe, I love to meander the Grand Place in Brussels peering into the windows of the lace shops. The beautiful and intricate work that goes into handmade lace is mind-boggling. Some is as delicate as a spider’s web and just as fragile.

    I’m looking forward to reading “The Ruins of Lace” and have heard some very good things about the novel.

  24. I love historical fiction but because this story that involves lace, I really want to read this book. I have some of the lace that my grandmother made and really treasure it. I would to find out more about this part of history that involves it.

    +2 Follower on GFC as Carol N Wong

    +3 http://t.co/IuvcJIw9 I tweeted.

    CarolNWong(at)aol(dot)com

  26. I have never read historical fiction but this one sounds fascinating. Also, I enjoy books written from different POV’s.

    Thanks 🙂
    monagargATyahooDOTcom

  29. I too have never read anything about lace in historical fiction, sounds very interesting, I would like to read this book!

    I follow your blog via email, FB and twitter

  30. What an intriguing book! I’m not excited about the many points of views but I like the sound of this story. I know very little about lace. Well, aside from the fact that it is beautiful.

    I’m a follower 🙂

    Reflectionsofabookahlic[at]gmail[dot]com

  32. I don’t read much historical fiction but have to say this book sounds fascinating. Of course, the French setting helps things.

    I subscribe in Google Reader.

    kathy(at)bermudaonion.net

  42. I’m a google follower! Thanks for the giveaway!

    Really excited to read this book!

    Google follower

    lafra86 at gmail dot com

  48. Good Blog sir… your blog is very helpful… I am happy to find this post very useful for me, as it contains lot of information. I always prefer to read the quality content and this thing I found in you post. Thanks for sharing.

    ABB

  52. I love historicals and anything to do with things I’m bad at, like seamstress
    Thanks for the giveaway

    I am a GFC follower

  53. Please enter me. I have had this one on my TBR list since I first heard about it. I follow by email.

    tmrtini at gmail dot com

  55. Thanks for this amazing giveaway! This book sounds great and I would love to win it!

    klaxon63350 (at) mypacks (dot) net

  63. This looks like an interesting book & I’ve been looking for a good historical fiction book to read.
    Thanks for the giveaway!