Who will keep our stories, who will guard our industry? 

Lauren Chater’s  breathtakingly beautiful The Lace Weaver is her debut novel, and certainly packs a punch.

Who would think a book set against the backdrop of Estonian Genocide could make you feel such love and empathy, as well heartbreak for a country that so few people know were caught in the middle of the fighting between Russia and Germany.

Chater first came to the attention of many with her mind blowing incredible talents for baking literary themed cookies.  You can check out her brilliant work on instagram, @well_read_cookie

From the outset, this book is beautifully dipped in sorrow.  Even if you’re not familiar with the history of Estonia you will be taken in as all the pain, both physical and emotional comes through in Chater’s writing.

The Lace Weaver tells the tale of two women from very different circumstances; Kati, an Estonian farm girl who has dreams beyond the tending of sheep and the fierce protector her grandmother’s precious legacy ; the tradition of weaving of fine lace shawls stitched with intricate patterns that tell the stories passed down through generations.   Lydia, a privileged Russian  who leads a life she doesn’t even realise is shrouded in lies and mystery, but suffocating  under the weight of  expectations.  Each story unfolds from their respective points of view and as the tension mounts against the threat of Germany overthrowing the Russian ruling party the two women are thrown together

Both young women are confronted with events and images and in the end must choose between their family, love and what is right.

For me, I adored the motif of the Estonian lace  patterns  that work so beautifully as each chapter’s title, reflecting scenes within.

The Lace Weaver is an extremely powerful novel, from a talented debut Australian author.

The Lacwe Weaver
by Lauren Chater
Published by Simon and Schuster
Published March 19th 2018
ISBN 1925596346 (ISBN13: 9781925596342)

**For full disclosure, I was sent a readers copy of the book by the author