“You can always start again,” Kate Robinson’s mother once told her, “all it takes is a new thread.” Overwhelmed by heartbreak and loss, the struggling twenty-six-year-old fashion designer follows her mother’s advice and flees to her ancestral homeland of Ireland, hoping to break free of old patterns and reinvent herself.
She arrives on the west coast, in the seaside hamlet of Glenmara. In this … In this charming, fading Gaelic village, Kate quickly develops a bond with members of the local lace-making society: Bernie, alone and yearning for a new purpose since the death of her beloved husband, John; Aileen, plagued by doubt, helplessly watching her teenage daughter grow distant; Moira, caught in a cycle of abuse and denial, stubbornly refusing help from those closest to her; Oona, in remission from breast cancer, secretly harboring misgivings about her marriage; Colleen, the leader of the group, worried about her fisherman husband, missing at sea. And outside this newfound circle is local artist Sullivan Deane, an enigmatic man trying to overcome a tragedy of his own.
Under Glenmara’s spell, Kate finds the inspiration that has eluded her, and soon she and the lace makers are creating a line of exquisite lingerie. In their skilled hands, flowers, Celtic dragons, nymphs, fish, saints, kings, and queens come to life, rendered with painterly skill. The circle also offers them something more—the strength to face their long-denied desires and fears. But not everyone welcomes Kate, and a series of unexpected events threatens to unravel everything the women have worked so hard for. . . .
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Just a nice easy read focusing on relationships, belonging and acceptance.
Enjoyed reading this before I traveled to Ireland.
Well written and interesting.
Enjoyable read in a lovely setting.
Loved the idea of magic in the lace. Also the beautiful supportive of relationship between the women.
I really enjoyed this story on entrepreneurial women trying to improve their lives and their town.
Great light read and set in Ireland. Enjoyed the setting and loved the lacemakers
Really enjoyed reading this book. Loved the American-Irish connection and learning about lace making. Liked all the characters.
Interesting characters
Just a fun read – did not like the ending – ending planned for reader to buy the next book – annoys me. Make the book so good that I will want to get the next book not leave me hanging! I won’t be buying the next book.
This was a lovely read, especially if you enjoy reading about Ireland!
I didn’t care for the writing though a nice story.
I really enjoyed this peek into a friend-group of women, figuring life out together in a small, struggling Irish village.
What a fabulous book! The blend of American/ European, old/ young, male/ female, church/ state, family dynamics, loneliness, dealing with traumas, domestic violence, resurgence of traditional crafts, historical elements, fantasy keeps the reader hooked to the end. The author did a fantastic job developing the plot and her characters. I look …
UPS and downs and losses in life. A good work, beautiful writing
Enjoyed the book may read again.
If you love reading about Ireland as I do then you will enjoy this book with wonderful descriptions of countryside. The lace making adds a nice dimension which seems similar to quilting bees in America. Women getting together to chat and make beautiful items to treasure.
This is a great story, filled with wonderful characters and information about lace making. I loved it. Thank you!
Loved it!
This book was wonderfully well written and the storyline was well developed. It was interesting and enjoyable. The main characters were very believable. I intend to give this book another read , that’s how much I liked it.