Night Booker's Book Club Discussion of The Lace Reader by Brunonia Barry

The group had a lively discussion about The Lace Reader. Most of the group did not get the clues the author laid out that pointed to the fact that "Lyndley," the twin sister of Towner who died when she was a teenager, was actually a split personality of Towner. Towner's twin sister died at their birth, and her twin sister's name was Lyndsey. Towner had a mental breakdown because her mother was physically abused by her father Cal, and Towner was sexually abused by him. The group spent most of the time going over the clues in hindsight that led to the conclusion of the book. One person was not surprised by the ending because in the beginning of the book Towner says she is a liar. Also, she was not surprised with Towner's mental illness, because so many people suffer with some form of mental illness. Towner had a brief relationship with Rafferty the cop. Someone said they were both damaged people; Rafferty is an recovering alcoholic. They were both vulnerable which is why they gravitated to one another. However, most people did not feel any real love between them, even though they did like Rafferty. People also talked about Cal, the abuser who was a yacht captain and then became a leader of a cult. The group thought Eva, Towner's grandmother committed suicide by swimming, but that her intent was to pin it on to Cal. The group talked about lace reading; each chapter was headed with explanation on lace reading. May, Towner's aunt, made lace with domestic violence victims.
Overall, an interesting discussion.