The Lace Makers of Glenmara
by Heather Barbieri

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“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 Ireland, hoping to break free of old patterns and reinvent herself.

In the village of Glenmara, she finds the inspiration that has eluded her, and she and a group of the lace makers create a line of exquisite lingerie-and gain the strength to face 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….

Praise & Reviews

“Devastating loss gives way to new life in Heather Barbieri’s charming novel The Lace Makers of Glenmara, about a heartbroken American designer who discovers inspiration, comfort, and friendship in an intimate circle of lace makers from a quaint Irish village.”
Parade Magazine

“Barbieri’s deft writing style is charmingly wry yet evocative, with details and descriptions both telling and vivid…A sweet summertime yarn [that]…provides a lovely, leisurely escape to the bucolic charms of the Emerald Isle.”
Boston Globe



“The novel is steeped in folklore and tradition, and Barbieri writes with a sweet, lilting tone that serves the subject matter well. . . . This hopeful, comforting novel is a testament to the power of taking changes and starting fresh and a reminder that life can bring joy after sorrow.”
The Miami Herald

“Barbieri weaves together stories on life, love, friendship and family to create a multifaceted novel, where personal histories define her characters and influence their decisions. In her affinity for literary patchwork, [she] has created an entertaining novel by blending a thoughtful story with a light read, perfect for this summer’s vacation.”
BookPage

“Take a trip to an Irish village in Heather Barbieri’s delightful novel The Lace Makers of Glenmara. While healing a broken heart, heroine Kate learns the secret of making lace in this unforgettable tale of love.”
National Examiner

“Author Heather Barbieri examines with searching intelligence Kate’s personal resilience and her quest for creative fulfillment…Barbieri’s rendering of the details of lacemaking seems impressively authentic. The novel features insights into human entanglements both current and from the past.”
Minneapolis Star Tribune

“…Deal[s] with the reinvention of women’s lives…At a point in history when so many of us are struggling to make lemonade out of lemons, and in a summer season when a little literary lemonade is just the thing, [Lace Makers] encourage[s] and inspire[s] .”
The Seattle Times

“Expect fresh starts, romance, intrigue, sudden tragedy and redemption.”
Sacramento Bee

“Barbieri’s world generates convincing warmth and emotion.”
Publishers Weekly

“In her second novel (after Snow in July), Barbieri puts a graceful spin on the theme of a young woman influenced and aided by a group of older female friends… VERDICT: A delicately handled romantic subplot featuring a somewhat shy and emotionally wounded Irishman named Sullivan rounds out a compelling and charming story line. Readers who have enjoyed the novels of Maeve Binchy and perhaps Rosamunde Pilcher will find this book equally entertaining.”
Library Journal

“The author . . . paints a vivid picture of Ireland in her immensely readable novel…Heather is note-perfect in her depictions of Irish people and places in the book.”
Irish News

“Fans of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society and The Lace Reader will enjoy this sweet and heartrending novel from Heather Barbieri…This multigenerational story of women will also make it a natural choice for book clubs.”
Bookreporter.com

“The author…paints a vivid picture of Ireland in her immensely readable novel… Heather is note-perfect in her depictions of Irish people and places in the book.”
.—.Brian Campbell, Irish News

The Lace Makers of Glenmara is richly peopled and beguilingly charming but what ultimately makes it so moving is Heather Barbieri’s deep understanding that no life is immune from sorrow and difficulty. I read this wonderful novel with enormous pleasure.”
—Margot Livesey

The Lace Makers of Glenmara is a charming, moving story, written with a delicate touch.”
—Joanne Harris