Rated of 5
by Kandi D. (Beaverton, OR) The Map of True Places
I liked Barry’s first novel, The Lace Reader, so I was excited to read her latest. This one also takes place in and around the Salem area and even references some of the characters from the first novel. Barry does an excellent job creating an environment and making you feel like you want to plan a trip to Salem and take in the beautiful scenery and unique culture. They say you should write about what you know, and it’s obvious that Barry knows and truly loves her hometown. The story of Zee Finch and her strange and troubled family is interesting and definitely a story worth telling. But I think Barry misses the mark. Some of the events in the story seem far-fetched and forced. And some of the characters are too prescribed and unreal. But it’s definitely entertaining and keeps your interest to the final page.
Rated of 5
by Zonetta G. (Winter Springs, FL) The Map of True Places
Brunonia Barry's character development draws one immediately into the lives of the characters themselves. Her ability to navigate from present to past and back again seemss to flow neatly; fiction and fact and fantasy blend sometimes without the reader even realizing it. I loved all the allusions to Hawthorne and Melville and Old Salem. For all these reasons, I thoroughly enjoyed the book and am recommending it to my book club for this coming year.
Rated of 5
by Kathrin C. (Corona, CA) The Map of True Places
This is a very hard book to put down once you start reading and I liked it far better than Barry’s first book, The Lace Reader. Perhaps because for me the magical realism within The Map of True Places carried a bit more realism than fantasy. Zee Finch, with her funny name and motherless childhood kept my interest at speed as she searched to find her own way through her past, the present and finally centering on what she wanted to aim for in the future.
The complex characters, the atmospheric foray into Salem’s historical past and Zee's father's developing struggle with the onslaught of Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s all added to the complexities of life that kept shining throughout this novel.
Rated of 5
by Judy G. (Carmel, IN) Disappointed after Lace Reader
I loved the Lace Reader so I was a little disappointed in this book. It was too predictable and I felt the characters were not uniformly well developed. I never really got "connected" to Zee so it wasn't a page-turner for me at all. I did, however, really like the story within the story very much and wished it had been longer. Not a bad read, but rather one where you read on hoping to get to the great part--but never quite make it there.
Rated of 5
by Judith M. (San Diego, CA) The Map of True Places
I have hesitated between a 4 and 5 star rating for this book. I leaned toward 5 stars because as the story progressed I found that I couldn't put it down and read the last half straight through! Yes, it is not great literature, has a somewhat slow beginning, at times confusing plot, and a bit too coincidental. However, any story that keeps you in its spell is worth reading and earning 5 stars. I thought Ms. Barry particularly captured the conflicting emotions of caring for a failing parent. A book group would have many points to spark discussion. Not least of which, should family secrets be told?
Rated of 5
by Kristen H. (Lowell, MA) Real life imitation of fairy tales?
This book captured me from the very first page all the way up until the last especially since quite a bit of the story is set near where I live in Massachusetts. Boston and the other places aren't that far from me so it was great reading about some of the things I have seen firsthand. I think that this book would appeal to anyone from around the Massachusetts area if for no other reason than they might be familiar with the places mentioned. Another group of people who I think may enjoy this book are those that are interested in how people work, what they believe in and how it shapes us as humans and if we can change how we are later in life.
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of 5
by Kandi D. (Beaverton, OR) 
of 5
by Zonetta G. (Winter Springs, FL) 
of 5
by Judith M. (San Diego, CA) 
