In 17th century France, lace is forbidden, but it can be had
for a price. Unsavory smugglers bring it into the country
from neighboring Flanders, where the finest lace is made by
young women who work like slaves until they are too blind
to see their work.
In THE RUINS OF LACE, author Iris Anthony introduces us to
several people, and a dog, whose lives and fortunes depend
on contraband lace. Katharina Martens is one of the
unfortunate lace-makers; her sister Heilwich is trying to
buy her freedom but never has enough money to suit the nuns
who are holding Katharina. Denis Boulanger is a soldier
failing at his task to finding smugglers. As a child,
Lisette Lefort damaged the lace cuffs of a gentleman and her
family is still paying the price; her cousin Alexandre is
determined to smuggle a length of lace into France to save
the family. The County of Montreau doesn't just want to
replace his damaged cuffs; he wants to buy the assurance
that he'll inherit his father's estates. Moncher is a dog
tortured and tormented as he's forced to carry the illegal
lace across the border.
Before telling the tale, Anthony has a note for the readers,
explaining that the seemingly unconnected stories will
eventually come together, and they do. About halfway through
the book, I had my first aha, I-see-where-this-is-going
moment. I found it hard to really get into the book until
that point, when the story really began to take off. From
there, it was an intense, compelling read, and I really
wondered if everything was going to work out. In particular,
my heart broke for Moncher and the horrors he has to endure
without understanding what's happening or why. At least the
people knew what led to their situations.
Anthony's characters are believable, and her settings are
vividly drawn, from the Flemish convent where Katharina
works long hours making lace to the country estate where
Lisette grew up. I'm no expert on Renaissance France, but
the history seems authentic. The only thing holding me back
from a glowing recommendation is that I hate the ending. The
last few pages of the final chapter really threw me. I don't
want to give anything away, but a lack of resolution, shall
we say, made me want to throw the book across the room. I
think it's the ambiguousness of the ending that I hate most,
but many people probably won't mind and may even prefer the
uncertainty.
If you choose to read THE RUINS OF LACE, you will find a
skillfully woven plot and characters you can care about.
Give the story time to begin coming together, and I believe
you'll be hooked, just as I was.
Lace is a thing like hope. It is beauty; it is
grace. It was never meant to destroy so many
lives.
The mad passion for forbidden lace has
infiltrated France, pulling soldier and courtier into its
web. For those who want the best, Flemish lace is the only
choice, an exquisite perfection of thread and air. For those
who want something they don't have, Flemish lace can buy
almost anything-or anyone.
For Lisette, lace begins
her downfall, and the only way to atone for her sins is to
outwit the noble who know demands an impossible length of
it. To fail means certain destruction. But for Katharina,
lace is her salvation. It is who she is; it is what she
does. If she cannot make this stunning tempest of threads, a
dreaded fate awaits.
A taut, mesmerizing story,
The Ruins of Lace explores the intricate tangle of
fleeting beauty, mad obsession, and ephemeral hope.
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