The Ruins of Lace

June 25, 2012
In this stunning debut from the pseudonymous Anthony, King Louis XIII’s ban on lace gives rise to a black market that weaves together the lives of four women in 17th-century France and Flanders. Katharina Martens is a Flemish lace maker who considers it her God-given duty to craft the “exquisite, beautiful” fabric, never mind that her work—often conducted without firelight or lanterns, in order to keep the lace clean of soot and ash—has left her hunched and nearly blind. As the end of her lace-making career draws nigh, to be followed by the sordid existence of former craftswomen relegated to a life of “doing... vile things,” her sister, Heilwich, struggles to save enough money to buy Katharina’s freedom from the abbey where she works. Meanwhile in France, Lissette Lefort and her cousin Alexandre must procure a length of forbidden lace to pay off the conniving count of Montreau, who threatens to reveal Lissette’s father’s role in an attempted assassination of the king. As beautifully fashioned as the sought-after lace, this story is sure to impress. Agent: Natasha Kern.

July 15, 2012
In 17th-century France, Flemish lace is desired but illegal, so the smuggling business is alive and well. This debut historical novel from Anthony (the pen name of a Christian book author) tells the story of lace from multiple perspectives, including an abused dog trained to smuggle lace across the border. Treated little better than the dog is Katharina, a nun who has become bent and blind from her incessant lace-making. Her sister, Heilwich, hopes to buy her back from the abbey before Katharina's blindness is discovered and she is cast out onto the streets, very likely to earn a living by prostitution. Meanwhile, border guards are trained to hunt smugglers, and confiscated lace ends up gracing the sleeves of the aristocracy. One young girl, Lisette, becomes entranced by the lace cuffs of a visiting Count. Her curiosity, however, ruins not only the Count's lace cuffs, but also her family's fortunes, as he resorts to blackmail to gain vengeance. He wants, of course, not only more lace, but also a means to save his own fortune, since his father has threatened to disinherit him. Why disinherit him? Well, the Marquis has a newly pregnant wife, his first wife ruined the young Count by raising him initially as a girl, and the Count shows no inclination to produce an heir himself. Lisette's cousin Alexandre has also endured hard times. He and his leprous father were cast out by the village priest long ago, yet Lisette's father rescued him. He owes his life to Lisette's father, and he has given his heart to Lisette. So when she impulsively begs the Count to take her in place of the lace, and the Count spirits her away, Alexandre vows vengeance himself. Lurking behind is the master smuggler himself, De Grote. The many facets of the story of lace are intriguing, yet Anthony does not fully weave them together. There are simply too many threads. Sweeping, yes. Cohesive, no.

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September 1, 2012

In her debut as Anthony (a pseudonym), this author of ten previous novels focuses on the craze for Flemish lace in 17th-century France. Intertwining the stories of a lace maker slowly going blind and the sister desperate to save her, a French border patrol agent, and even a dog, Anthony depicts the destruction that greed for the exquisite fabric wrought as well as the moral strength of those who understood the true harm caused by the delicate threads and circumvented the pitfalls of this treacherous industry. Anthony's writing is nothing short of fantastic, and the details she includes in this beautifully atmospheric novel will bring the settings and characters to life for readers. VERDICT Historical fiction fans tired of reading about kings and queens will greedily grab this book off the shelf.--Audrey M. Jones, Arlington, VA

Copyright 2012 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 1, 2012
Lace is forbidden in seventeenth-century France and has become an illicit and highly sought currency on the black market. For Lisette and her beloved cousin, Alexandre, procuring it could mean releasing their family from the blackmail they can't afford to pay. Meanwhile, across the border, in Flanders, producing it has long been Katharina's only means of survival. But Alexandre will face many dangers to obtain the precious commodity, and Katharina has gone blind from poor conditions in the workshop and now must wait for her sister, Heilwich, to come rescue her. From the poor women who supply it to the nobility who covet it, from the smugglers who run it to the soldiers who confiscate it, lace has the power to make or break lives, and first-novelist Anthony weaves these stories together into a tale as intricate as the lace itself. Artfully drawn characters bring the lyrical and gripping narrative to life, while suspense makes it hard to put down. Fans of Susan Higginbotham and Philippa Gregory will especially appreciate this period tale.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)