Hands down, best book I've read all year. It was so good, I'm actually reading The Scarlet Letter. It was that good!

Have you met Isobel Gamble? She's the fictional inspiration for Hester Prynne's character from The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, as told in Hester by Laurie Lico Albanese. Isobel moves to Salem, Massachusetts with her apothecary husband in the mid-1800s and meets Nat Hathorne. She's a seamstress from Scotland who "sees" colors when she speaks to others, and she falls under Mr. Hawthorne's spell. Or does he fall under her spell?

Even though I absolutely despised The Scarlet Letter, which I read in college for a class, I was intrigued by this premise. The gorgeous cover does justice to the story, especially considering the main character has synesthesia, which is when a person sees colors when certain words, letters, or shapes are used. I found that aspect of the book incredibly fascinating. I recently heard that singer John Mayer has this condition as did Jerry Garcia from the Grateful Dead when they have played music. At the time of the story, it could be interpreted that Isobel is a witch, but that's not really explored as much as I wished.

This book was very promising in the beginning, but I kept expecting more excitement. The story is good and sad at many times, but I wanted more. I was hoping that the story would delve way more into the Salem witch trials and witchcraft in general. When I went to Salem at least 10 years ago, I felt a creepy feeling the whole time I was there. I'm not sure if it was the power of suggestion or from the history of this haunted place.

I enjoyed the book, but it didn't wow me. Was it because I didn't enjoy The Scarlet Letter? Maybe, but it was extremely well-written to the point of being lyrical, and you can tell the topic and Nathaniel Hawthorne were researched in-depth. But I felt there was something missing. It could be just me. I think others who like The Scarlet Letter may find this more enlightening and interesting than I did. I would consider reading another book from this author because it was so well-done but just not for me.

I was drawn to this book by the beautiful cover but the story inside did not disappoint. I remembered bits and pieces of The Scarlet Letter but to read it from the perspective of the central character was very interesting indeed.

I had no idea this was a retelling of The Scarlet Letter!! It might be more of a prequel-type story but it was very interesting. I think the title of the book threw me off but I should not go into books blind. haha. Regardless, it was a beautiful cover that pulled me in.

Now onto the story…

This was such an imaginative story that is wrapped in some magic. I think that Albanese did such a fantastic job writing this story. Sometimes it’s hard to read about the past and how women showing any type of interest in medicine/midwifery is a witch. It’s sometimes hard to believe but it’s not, especially now. I think the way that she wove the past and present was very interesting and a little sad. It did sometimes pull me out of the current story and the past was a little bit harder to follow. Regardless, I did enjoy learning about her ancestors. I’m not quite sure if this was magical realism or straight-up magic when it comes to Isobel. Oh my gosh, was her story so touching and heart-breaking! The crazy thing is that her story isn’t the worst from that time.

Not only did Albanese tackle sexism but also racism. I loved how she had both stories woven into Isobel’s. I didn’t know how this story would end up and it kept me intrigued and turning the pages. Even though this is a feminist story, I didn’t quite agree with how quickly she turned on all the men. Not all men are the problem and I don’t want to get into that. There’s one man that was just amazing in this book and she makes us doubt that. I struggled with that a bit.

Overall, I enjoyed my time reading this. I’m not sure that I’m getting my thoughts out coherently. If you liked the Scarlet Letter or are intrigued at all, give this one a go. I really enjoyed this story and the history that’s woven in.

Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press & NetGalley for an e-arc to review.

From my blog: Always With a Book

This was one of the books we picked this month for our @bookfriendsbookclub selections and I’m so glad I did. Even though I have never read The Scarlet Letter, I knew as soon as I had heard about this book, I had to read it…and after enjoying it so much, you better believe I’ll be adding The Scarlet Letter to my tbr immediately!

I loved that reading I was totally able to enjoy this without having read TSL. Maybe I would have loved it even more had I read TSL, but clearly not reading it did not seem to hinder my enjoyment. The author was able to create such an enchanting, hypnotizing story that imagines the woman that could have been the muse for Nathanial Hawthorne. It is richly evocative and descriptive but not in such a way that you get bogged down in all the details. The story is so vivid that it is easy to visualize what is happening. I loved the history of the witchcraft trials and how that was woven into the story. And Isobel – she may be one of my new favorite characters! Her ability to see colors was just fascinating – but was it a gift or a curse?

There are many themes tackled within this book, making it a great bookclub pick – slavery, discrimination against outsiders, social class, women’s rights, addiction, etc. And let’s not forget the feminist take. Isobel is a strong woman who ends up supporting herself and striving for a better life. Again, I just loved her character!

I loved this book and cannot recommend it enough. I definitely plan on revisiting this one after I read The Scarlet Letter, which I hope to do soon. I haven’t read too many retellings/reimaginings of the classics, especially when I haven’t read the original yet but if they are anything like this one I will definitely be adding them all to my reading list.

THE 411...

╰☆☆ “𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐀 𝐢𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐝,” 𝐈 𝐬𝐚𝐲. “𝐑𝐞𝐝 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐞?” 𝐇𝐞 𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐛𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤. “𝐍𝐨,” 𝐈 𝐬𝐚𝐲. “𝐀 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐬𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐞𝐭 𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫.” ☆☆╮

The last book I read in October was less of a retelling and more of an origin story for Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter. A slow paced Historical Fiction set in Salem right after the Salem Witch Trials, this one is more character driven and atmospheric. We follow Isobel Gamble, a young seamstress who leaves Scotland due to her husband Edward succumbing to Opium. Edward is an Apothecary who has indebted them to the point of disgrace so much so that setting sail for Salem could be their only hope of rebuilding. Shortly after arriving in Salem, Edward joins another sailing ship and leaves Isobel without any money to fend for herself. With her needle & stitch work, Isobel begins to grow a customer base. Her stitch work is different and instantly garners the attention of all the women in town and abroad. Different in Salem ALWAYS spells trouble. Different gets you accused of witchcraft. Different can get you hung for your sins. Isobel quickly learns that being a woman makes you susceptible to accusations by the townsfolk, especially a woman whose husband trails a bad reputation and has just left her alone. Not all townsfolk are eager to ostracize her, Isobel finds good people who impart wise advice. Isobel inadvertently discovers the very beginnings of the Underground Railroad and becomes an ally when things hit close to home.

WRITING & FINAL THOUGHTS...

This was a hybrid read for me once I found out that the audiobook narrator really had given a stellar performance. I found the audiobook highly enjoyable, our main character has a brogue accent to represent her Scottish origins. This in and of itself plays an important role in the story, Isobel is met with prejudice as soon as she arrives in Salem due to her accent. She’s a woman with a lot of secrets and she’s come to live in a place where any personality quirks can get you accused of witchcraft. Isobel happens to hear and read words in colors, a secret passed on down the line of women in her family. During the time this book is set in the 1800’s, there wasn’t a name for what Isobel and her family could do. The author does give some info at the beginning of the story on Synesthesia, a blending of the senses or better described as experiencing one of your senses through another. I’d recommend it for anyone Hester to anyone who has read The Scarlet Letter or just enjoy reading Historical Fiction set in Salem during the 1800’s. Character driven and atmospheric, this is one Feminist “re-telling” perfect for this time of year!

I was so excited to read Hester . Hester is so well written you can tell a lot of time and research went into the details of this story . I felt totally transported to Salem . At times the story felt a little slow but the end of the story was fantastic and totally came full circle giving the reader closure on the story . Truly a great historical fiction book . I would def recommend it !

Hester re imagines Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter and his inspiration for Hester Prynne. Isobel Gamble appears as Hawthorne's muse and love interest. Isobel is a seamstress and is married to a doctor. When he sets sail on a long journey, Isobel is left to fend for herself. She meets and falls in love with Hawthorne and of course becomes the focus on the town gossip.

This retelling of The Scarlet Letter is literally insane. I've been really into historical fiction lately. Who would've thought? The characters, the imagery, I could picture myself there. I was instantly interested in the story. I love the way Laurie tied into The Salem With Trials and The Underground Railroad.

One of my favorite reads this year.

This novel is a thought experiment exploring the possible autobiographical origins of one of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s important works. Albanese explains that while four of five of his published novels have obvious ties to his own life, this story seems to erupt from nowhere, and many scholars have speculated that Hawthorne himself might have committed adultery in his reckless youth, before he became the more sullen and somber man he was known to be.

This possible tie into real life events is very provoking and intellectually exciting. Unfortunately, that alone did not imbue the narrative with energy. I found the pace to be quite slow and even had to step away at one point because I was finding it dull. Periodically the author reaches back to the witch trials, also imagining those stories, but even that did not keep me interested like I’d hoped.

I did enjoy the use of synesthesia as a device, and it really added some great imagery throughout. Watching Isobel find her strength was enjoyable as well.

Not a great read for me, but still an enjoyable read. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my free copy. These opinions are my own.

Do I remember reading The Scarlet Letter in high school? Kind of.

Am I sure the one star reviews for Hester are giving The Scarlet Letter too much credit? Absolutely.

I loved this, only thing is I think the title should’ve been different, but Hester does draw you in with the connection to The Scarlet Letter.

Hester is a novel about the inspiration for Nathaniel Hawthorne’s classic novel, The Scarlet Letter. The story follows Isobel Gamble who is a new Scottish immigrant to Salem. Here she meets Nathaniel Hawthorne. She learns that in America, freedom and liberty are ideals that are not available to everyone. The story also has themes of feminism and building your own family. Overall, I enjoyed this women’s historical fiction novel.

Thank you @netgalley and @stmartinspress for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

Okay - I would've DEFINITELY picked a different title to the book but that's just me.

Overall, I really enjoyed Hester. I found the protagonist really interesting and good. I loved her special ability with the colors and associating her familial history of the Witch Trials in Scotland as well as in Salem, MA approx. 200 years after the Salem Witch Trials. I loved the spin-off Scarlett Letter! Integrated with her gift of making the finest garments, it was a great story!

4.25/5 stars

I was truly unsure what I was going to think of this one when I initially received an ARC of this one because I loathed THE SCARLET LETTER in school. HESTER is a reimagining of the story of Isobel, the woman who likely inspired the character of Hester Prynne. I thought this was excellent — smart, engaging, and full of historical detail. Definitely recommend!

Hester, by Laurie Lico Albanese, is a valiant effort to provide a fictional inspiration for Nathanial Hawthorne's novel, The Scarlet Letter. Set in Salem during the 19th century, Albanese's story combines magic, the Witch trials and executions, the slave trade, and forbidden love. All of these elements blur the strength and courage of the protagonist and slowed the plot to a crawl. The author's attention to detail and historical accuracy is impressive. Contrary to many of the reviews, this is not a gender-biased story. It does reflect the brutality of the times, including a social structure which denied women and people of color power. In the spirit of full disclosure, I did not enjoy Hawthorne's novel in high school and did not take the time to reread it. Doing so might totally alter my assessment of Albanese's novel. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read this work.

A clever companion to The Scarlett Letter - loved the characters of Isobel and Mercy. A good October read

Thanks to Netgalley for the free copy in exchange for an honest review

This book really just took me for a ride. I loved the build up, the character development, and the writing. I would definitely read more from this author!

Wonderful read. This is a novel that reimagines the events that may have inspired Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter. The story starts in Scotland in the early 1800s with Isobel, a young talented embroiderer who sees colors in words and letters. Isobel leaves Scotland with her husband, an apothecary addicted to opium to start a new life in Salem, Massachusetts as his debts have forced them to start anew. A few days after arriving in Salem her husband takes a job as a medic and returns to sea with the captain leaving Isobel to survive on her own. Salem isn’t particularly friendly to outsiders and she struggles to find work and ways to fit in, while trying not to draw too much attention to herself. She meets Nathaniel Hawthorne, a writer / poet and there is immediate chemistry and concern based on his past. It’s a beautiful and enjoyable story that develops slowly. Isobel is a strong and likeable character and as she finds herself connecting with other strong women it empowers her to forge her own way. Really enjoyed this one. 4 stars.

This book is great! Would definitely recommend. Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Enjoyed this book very much - thinking about what might have inspired Nathanial Hawthorne's Scarlet Letter.
The use of color and imagery, really brought the book to life.

I want to thank Netgalley and the author for gifting me the ebook. A good drama novel. Highly recommend