A powerful first novel

Towner Whitney is from a long line of women who can see the future in pieces of lace. Her first words in The Lace Reader are "never believe me. I lie all the time."

This premise makes for interesting reading in Brunonia Barry's first novel. It is set in Salem in the mid-1990s, where Towner has returned after the disappearance of her great-aunt Eva, who helped raise her after Towner's estrangement from her own mother, May (who now runs a women's shelter on the isolated Yellow Dog Island) and her twin sister Lyndley's suicide. With the help of police investigator John Rafferty, Towner attempts to discover Eva's fate while remembering and reliving her tumultuous youth.

The reader is taken on a journey which is part reality, part fantasy, part history, and part terror. But it's not until the last few pages that the reality versus fantasy is cleared. Always bear in mind Towner's opening words, and keep close attention to her following ones, or you may find yourself flipping back several chapters to re-read a scene. In fact, a re-reading of the whole book probably wouldn't hurt!

A delightful summer adventure

I recently took a trip to Kenya, where I learned a great deal about the local fauna, and a small bit about its politics, and I never had to leave my backyard. This feat was accomplished via Nicholas Drayson's A Guide to the Birds of East Africa.

The plot centres around mild-mannered widower Mr. Malik, who has a good old-fashioned 'crush' on the widow Rose Mbikwa, organiser of the local bird watching society. When the outgoing Harry Khan returns to Kenya for a visit, Mr. Malik finds an adversary for Rose's attentions. Unbeknownst to Rose, this rivalry starts a wager stating that whichever man can spot the most number of birds over the next week will have the honour of asking Rose to the Nairobi Hunt Club Ball. The novel follows the mainly comical trials and tribulations of the competitors with vivid and often beautiful descriptions.

Not only did I thoroughly enjoy this wonderful, humourous, gentle story, so did my visiting in-laws. We practically did battle ourselves over who got to have the book. So don't tell anyone how enjoyable it is until AFTER you've finished.