Iris Anthony

Louis 13th France lace banned — Flemish Lace the best — lace workers blind by early age — / dog runners — okay —

The mad passion for forbidden lace has infiltrated France, pulling soldier and courtier alike into its web. For those who want the best, Flemish lace is the only choice, an exquisite perfection of thread and air. For those who want something they don’t have, Flemish lace can buy almost anything–or anyone.

For Lisette, lace begins her downfall, and the only way to atone for her sins is to outwit the noble who now demands the impossible. To fail means certain destruction. But for Katharina, lace is her salvation. It is who she is; it is what she does. If she cannot make this stunning tempest of threads, a dreaded fate awaits.… (altro)

As distraction reading, this historical novel worked just fine. Ruins of Lace, set in the 17th century, tells a tale of lace production and smuggling from Flanders into France. The lace was made in the earliest sweat shops, by young girls and women who were often blind and bent by the age of 30, and then turned out on the streets. Sometimes these workshops were housed in convents and run by nuns, under the guise of providing for the poor. The lace was coveted and treasured by French aristocrats who paid exorbitant prices for it. The trade was tightly controlled by the monarchy of Louis XIII, so smuggling was rife, by any means possible, including trained dogs. The trade was tightly controlled by the monarchy of Louis XIII, so smuggling was rife, by any means possible, including trained dogs.

Obviously well researched, the novel, however, is loosely structured around multiple viewpoints. Although (or perhaps because) Anthony uses 1st person narrations, none of the characters is well-developed -- I only recall snatches of their characters which were connected to their sufferings.

If you're interested in lace and 17th century fashion politics, the book is informative.… (altro)