Brunonia Barry raised eyebrows in the publishing world when she sold her previously self-published debut novel, “The Lace Reader,” to Harper Collins Publishers for $2 million. After publishing the book herself and giving away advanced reader copies (ARCs) to prominent book bloggers who wrote great things about it, a bidding war erupted over her novel.

In an era when it is difficult for new authors to break through, hers is a rare success story. Many thought that her book might be a regional hit, selling well in New England where the story is set. It was published less than a month ago, and it is already on the national bestseller list, receiving many positive reviews.

“The Lace Reader” is set in Salem, Mass., the site of the witchcraft trials in the late 17th century. The novel opens with the lines “My name is Towner Whitney. No, that is not exactly true. My real first name is Sophya. Never believe me. I lie all the time. I am a crazy woman. ... That last part is true.” The reader would be wise to remember these statements while reading the novel.

Towner comes from a long line of famous “quirky” people. The men were “captains of sea and industry,” but it was the women in the family who were truly quirky. Towner's mother, May, lived on the remote Yellow Dog Island. May was agoraphobic, only leaving the island when necessary to retrieve supplies.

Although she was reclusive, May opened a retreat for abused women and children on the island. She home schools the children and teaches the women to make lace to sell.

Towner does not get along with her mother; she has a difficult time reconciling the woman who rescues women and children in trouble with the woman who is her mother; a woman who gave away Towner's twin sister to her own sister Emma because “there was need, and she (May) had been blessed with a matching set.”

Towner did, however, adore her great-aunt Eva. Eva married May's father after May's mother died when she was young. Eva was quirky as well, even though she wasn't a Whitney by birth.

Eva ran a ladies' tearoom, and she taught etiquette to the children of the best Boston Brahmin families. She also read lace for people who came to her tearoom. By holding up a piece of lace in front of a person's face, Eva could read that person's future. Eva believed that May and Towner had the gift of lace reading as well.

While Towner was recuperating from a difficult hysterectomy in California, she gets word from her brother that Eva has disappeared from Salem. Although she hasn't been in Salem in years and she is very ill, she goes home to search for Eva.

Knowing that Eva would never just up and leave, Towner goes to Eva's home to look for clues. She sees a young pregnant girl trying to get into the house, but the girl is gone before Towner can catch her.

A policeman named John Rafferty shows up, and explains to Towner that they still have not found Eva. Rafferty is intrigued by Towner, and since he is not originally from Salem, he does not know much about her history, which includes a stay at a local mental hospital.

The young pregnant girl was living with a group of religious extremists who called themselves the Calvinists. Their leader is Cal, who was married to Towner's Aunt Emma. Cal used to get drunk and in a rage, beat his wife and daughter (who is Towner's twin sister) Lyndley frequently.

Towner hates Cal because of what he did to her sister and aunt. Cal and his followers go into Salem and follow the witches around town, condemning them. Salem is a big tourist attraction, and several entrepreneurial citizens use their history with witches to make money.

Barry lives in Salem and gives her readers a real sense of what it is like to live in that historic city. It is ironic that in the 17th century there were no witches who lived in Salem; innocent people were called witches and put to death. In the 21st century, real witches (people who practice the Wiccan religion) are drawn to live in Salem, and do so for the most part peacefully, as neighbors to the descendants of the people who wanted them dead centuries ago.

The first two thirds of “The Lace Reader” is slowly paced, and it is at times difficult to keep characters' relationships straight. In the last third of the novel, the pace picks up, and things move along. There is a lot of action, mysteries are resolved and the relationships between characters are clarified.

Part of the reason that it is difficult to keep things straight is that the narrator of story, Towner, is what is known as an “unreliable narrator.” The story is told mostly from her point of view, and as she stated clearly in the first lines of the book, she is a liar and a crazy woman.

The unreliable narrator aspect of the story, as well as the excerpts from “The Lace Reader's Guide” written by Eva that open each chapter, remind me of Chris Bohjalian's novel “The Double Bind.” Both dealt with young female characters who had traumatic incidents that led to mental health issues, both opened chapters with clues to the real story.

However, Bohjalian's novel was more tightly written, and his resolution was clear. Even after finishing “The Lace Reader,” one might still be confused as to what exactly happened, but given that this is Brunonia Barry's first novel, she will no doubt get better with each successive novel.

“The Lace Reader” is a mystery that contains supernatural elements (seeing the future), as well as feminist overtones, set in a fascinating town. Salem imbues this novel with an atmosphere of history and mystery. I would have preferred to learn more about Eva and May, as they were interesting characters who were underdeveloped. I give “The Lace Reader” three and half stars.

Diane La Rue is a member of the National Book Critics Circle. Her lifelong goal is to read one book per week. She can be reached at laruediane2000@yahoo.com

If you read

What: “The Lace Reader”

Who: Brunonia Barry

Publisher: Harper Collins

Cost: $24.95, hardcover