Kate leaves her home town of Seattle to take a trip to Ireland. It was a trip she was going to make with her mother before the latter died quickly from cancer. Kate has also just been dumped by her boyfriend (who has left her for The Model), and her clothing range has barely made a dent anywhere but her pocket.[return][return]After travelling around the country for nearly a month she arrives in Glenmara, almost by accident. It's a costal village on the west of Ireland, where the young are leaving, and it is becoming increasingly difficult for the adults to make a living.[return][return]Bernice, a recent widow, gives Kate a room and Kate begins to learn about the village and the people who live there. Without realising it, Kate's arrival gives a boost to the local lace making group, giving them new ideas, and making small but fundemental changes to the small group and their families. Not all feel comfortable with the changes, the local priest in particular as he has not moved forward with his community and has not realised that he needs to support his community in the modern day issues. [return][return]As the story moves on, it turns out that everyone has their own stories and issues, from the worries encountered by fisherman's wives whilst waiting for their husbands to return; through breast cancer; to domestic violence.[return][return]The depiction of the priest was a little stereotypical but he had his commuppence in the end. Not all threads were pulled together and tightly cleaned up - when does real life ever end so cleanly? ( )

Wish there were links to YouTube videos that might show examples ( )

26-year-old designer Kate Robinson flees to her ancestral homeland of Ireland after a failed fashion show, the death of her mother, and a relationship breakup. She has a little money and so backpacks around Ireland sleeping rough before arriving on the west coast, in the seaside hamlet of Glenmara. This Gaelic village is quickly going downhill as there are no jobs and no industry to keep people there. Kate stays with a woman called Bernie, alone and still grieving the loss of her husband, and a member of the local lace-making society. Other members include Aileen, mother of a difficult teenage daughter; Moira, a battered wife trying to hide what’s happening at home; Oona, in remission from breast cancer, and Colleen, whose fisherman husband is missing at sea. While ‘almost’ stuck on a rock face, Kate also meets local potter Sullivan Deane, who always has a frown on his face, and the local priest, a man who will not abide change. Kate is taught lace-making by the group and soon comes up with an idea for a line of exquisite lingerie. The group can make the lace and a friend can create a webpage to sell them on, however they need Sullivan Deane’s computer and have to leave the village to get an internet connection. It all sounds good, but the priest is suspicious. A nice read. ( )

The plot is incredibly predictable (I think I could tell you the rough outline of the whole story by the time I got to chapter 2) but flows along well enough, and I stayed interested enough to keep reading. ( )

The Lace Makers of Glenmara, situated in a remote village in Ireland, reminds me of Jan Karon’s The Mitford series of novels as it offers a similar small-town feel where everyone knows each other and occasionally each other’s business as well. Although the author, Heather Barbieri, eloquently describes the rustic Irish countryside, I could never seem to truly feel engaged with this story. Perhaps, if the author had written this novel using Kate’s voice in the first person, I might have felt less detached than when reading this version in the third person.
When Kate Robinson’s mother passes away, and Kate’s relationship with boyfriend Ethan ends in disappointment, Kate flees to ancestral Ireland to find a balance in her life and to come to terms with her mother’s death. There, in a coastal village, Kate meets Bernie and the lacemakers of Glenmara. In learning the craft of working with lace, Kate finds the inspiration to design beautiful lingerie, and a new pact and business is formed that leads to new possibilities for all the women in this guild of lacemakers.
Ironically in this world’s smallest community, Kate finds handsome Sullivan Deane who similarly is recovering from a lost love. Although I’m often easily absorbed in the emotional and romantic elements of a story, I thought that the author could have developed this romance a little further. Sullivan Deane’s character was never truly revealed and his feelings were never really made transparent. I would have wanted to understand his torment better, and to feel his rehabilitation through his developing relationship with Kate.
Aside from all that, I did find The Lace Makers of Glenmara to be a pleasant story and probably a worthy read. It’s not compelling or enchanting, but enjoyable nonetheless. ( )