The Map of True Places by Brunonia Barry

As a fan of Brunonia Barry's The Lace Reader, I was really looking forward to reading The Map of True Places.  In her latest novel, we again return to Salem, which just seems to grow more and more charming in my head.  I'll have to get there someday.  While this book is not a sequel to The Lace Reader, there are a few familiar characters.

The Map of True Places centers on Zee, a psychologist from Boston who returns home to Salem to help care for her father. She's lost a client to suicide and is in an unhappy relationship with her fiance.  Her father,  Finch, is suffering from Parkinson's and as the disease progresses into signs of dementia and alzheimer's, he breaks up with his longtime partner who has been a faithful caregiver.  Zee can't leave him alone and takes a leave of absence from her work to care for him.  Back in her childhood home, memories of Zee's mother and her suicide are brought to the surface.

I was quickly caught up in the many layers of stories offered in the book.  While everything circles back to Zee, we are given opportunities to read stories about the other characters.  I wanted some to go on and on.  One mark of a wonderful book is the knowledge I take from it.  This book was full of facts, history, and legends.  It's a wonderful book, with wonderful characters, and sly twists that keep you reading even after you've figured things out.  I highly recommend it!