The Lace Makers of Glenmara

I recently had an opportunity to read this book via MotherTalk. It piqued my interest on more than a literary level- it made me interested in my personal history as well.

The storIy was set in Glenmara, Ireland a small town in Ireland that fit with how I had imagined small communities in that country. The women who lived in the community and welcomed Kate a woman who had left the US after having her heart broken and went to Ireland to honor an agreement with her late mother and learn where she was going by learning where she was from; were not all immediately welcoming - they all had their baggage- their own crosses to bear- and that was refreshing- the reminder that no matter what things look like externally everyone has baggage- it was helpful to remember that judging harshly is often unfair to all involved.

There are a lot of 'side stories' that provide little vignettes into each womans life. These helped the story not only remain light hearted but also touch on so many deeper themes- from abuse to widowhood.

One of the 'lessons' is that pretty underwear heal so many wounds- marriages that have survived cancer, lonely widowhood, teenage parent issues, and broken hearts- all while reviving a local sluggish economy- while part of that is admittedly far fetched- it is a lesson that a lot of women knows- feeling pretty-feeling sexy-helps everything and no one has to know it can be a little secret- a fun secret. The camaraderie that grew from creating the pretty underwear helped all of the characters learn that they were not alone- even-especially when they felt it.

So I enjoyed the book. I will look for more from this author!