Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the advanced reader copy.

This week’s headline? A is for Red

Why this book? Anticipated read

Which book format? ARC

Primary reading environment? On the couch, watching Gilmore Girls

Any preconceived notions? I think I’ll enjoy this one

Identify most with? Isobel No. 2

Three little words? “colors of home”

Goes well with? Needlework

Recommend this to? People who like historical fiction

Other cultural accompaniments: https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/1886/04/the-scarlet-letter-by-nathaniel-hawthorne/304668/

Grade: 4/5

I leave you with this: “A dressmaker is talented with a needle, but above all she is a secret keeper.”

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In 17th century Scotland a young girl named Isobel is learning needlework and through this we learn that she has synesthesia. Her mother warns her to keep this secret as anything out of the ordinary is considered bad and she could be accused of witchcraft.

Years later, her descendant, also named Isobel, who dreams of becoming a needle worker. She leaves Scotland to the New World with her new husband due to dire straits. Her husband has to leave for a job as a medic and Isobel finds herself lonely. She meets Nathaniel Hawthorne (yes, the guy who wrote The Scarlet Letter). They share an attraction and become close confidantes.

I think, like most people, that The Scarlet Letter isn’t the most favorable novel or even one that brings good feelings as it’s included in many school’s curriculum. Unfortunately, books that are required reading typically don’t get a good rap. That being said, I was still intrigued with this one. Ever since I learned what synesthesia is, I’ve wished I was a synesthete. My senior paper was about synesthesia in Baudelaire’s poetry. So, of course, I was hooked. And any story of someone being the inspiration behind an important part of literary history interests me. I recommend Hester as it has well written characters and it’s definitely better than its source material.

Hester is available now.

In this novel, the author imagines that Hester Prynne, the protagonist of The Scarlet Letter, was inspired by a woman Nathaniel Hawthorne actually encountered.

Isobel MacAllister experiences synesthesia so letters and sounds are associated with colours. Her mother warns her to keep her experiences of colours a secret for fear of being accused of witchcraft. She marries Edward Gamble, and circumstances cause them to sail to Salem, Massachusetts, in 1829, to begin a new life. When Edward leaves her there alone and virtually penniless while he sets off to become rich, Isobel uses her skills as an embroiderer and seamstress to support herself. Nineteen-year-old Isobel meets 24-year-old Nat Hathorne, and the two are immediately attracted to each other.

I liked the premise of the novel but I was not overly impressed with the execution. I found the book unnecessarily long; its pace can only be described as glacial. The constant references to Isobel’s synesthetic experiences become tedious. The focus also seems scattered. It’s supposed to be about the inspiration for Hester Prynne, but there are distracting side stories. For example, the detailing of the Underground Railroad in New England seems tagged on at the end. The flashbacks to Isobel’s ancestor who was accused of being a witch are supposed to suggest that Isobel is in danger 167 years later? I’ve never read about synesthesia being connected to witchcraft. Because the book dragged, I kept checking how many more pages I had to read to reach the end.

Isobel is supposed to be a strong female protagonist and she does possess admirable traits. She is skilled, resourceful, and determined. It must be noted, however, that she is rescued by others on more than one occasion. What bothered me is her poor judgment of men. Even after being abandoned and betrayed by her husband, she abandons all caution and easily trusts Nat? We are supposed to accept that she is attracted to him because she senses a kindred soul: “Here is a man who is at war within himself as I am with my colors”?

The romance between Isobel and Nat I found inexplicable. Why is she so attracted to a man who is obsessed with his family’s involvement with the Salem Witch Trials 137 years earlier? Even after their conversation about slaves, a conversation that certainly does not show Nat in a positive light, she continues to be enamored with him?

There are several minor characters who remain undifferentiated and seem to be used merely as plot devices. Women such as Widow Higgins, Nell, Abigail, and Eveline appear conveniently to advance the plot and then disappear and are never mentioned again unless needed for plot purposes. Using these female characters in this way seems dismissive when the author is obviously intending to emphasize the strength of women.

I enjoyed the examination of life for women in the early nineteenth century, though there is no new information. Men could stray but women could not. It was important that women behave in a “normal” way: living by society’s norms (like attending church) and not drawing attention to themselves in any way.

I did not find this an immersive read. The book will undoubtedly appeal to many readers, but it just fell and felt flat.

This was a truly intriguing tale of a young woman and her encounter with Nathaniel Hawthorne. Isobel Gamble finds herself drawn to Nathaniel and they two form a close relationship and then draw even closer.

Isobel bears many secrets and together with her new husband travel from Scotland to the new world. Her husband, Edward also has a secret as he becomes deeper involved with opium, He leaves Isobel in a strange land, penniless and departs becoming a medic on a ship that is casting off for foreign lands. leaving Isobel forsaken. However, she does amazing needlework, so this seems to be her destiny until Nathaniel comes along.

The times are difficult for all, but especially women who always carry the suspicion of being a witch should they possess special skills. History was recent and the witch trials of Salem are still vivid in the minds of many.

Ms Albanese also writes well of the concept of what made an American and how different Europeans were shunned because of their origins and accents. It also offers a picture into the world of some men, who do all in their power to make sure women stayed in their place, never glorifying the talents that said women possessed.

It was truly a fine story of what could have inspired Hawthorn's book. A Scarlet Letter, This story was meticulously researched and filled with the possibilities that there was something behind Hawthorn's writing of his famous tale.

Truly and enjoyable and engrossing story and definitely recommended to those who enjoy an well done historical fiction book.

Thanks go to Lauie Lico Albanese, Macmillion Audioboooks for a copy of this book, via NetGalley.

I was fortunate enough to receive both the written and audio copies and this most enjoyable historical fiction. Thank you St Martins' Press for the written copy.

Seeing a whole new aspect of the Salem witch trials and what happened after is what I'd been missing all these years. The idea that all of these families stayed intertwined coming and going from Salem throughout generations makes my skin tingle and my mind spin.

Accusers and descendents find themselves in the same spaces over and over again, history being repeated, families becoming blended and the past never being forgotten all while trying to just survive day to day and some days not knowing how you'll get to the next, who you can trust, or who will betray you in the worst way possible.

With moments that range from dark and dastardly to loving and pure the lives we see our characters living in both times makes them seem human, more than just characters. It made me think about what the next generation or two could have looked like.

Each of our characters has good and bad to them, they're complex and relatable and my very favorite type of character to read, they make you think and wonder and process all while keeping you engrossed in this story that wraps you up in it's pages and won't let you go.

The symbolism in this book is fascinating and beautiful, the way nature is woven into the story, the embroidery Isobel puts into her cloak and everything else she makes tells a story, is created with magic and memories and leaves a legacy for the people she trusts enough to let in.

I found myself rooting for the women in every aspect of this story, I can't imagine living in a time where a man can go from being an apothecary to calling himself a Doctor and just have it accepted, but where women had to have introductions in order to just walk into certain situations.

Through marriage and birth, life and death we see these women who cross worlds and generations learn from one another, teach one another and try and leave the world and their families a little better than they were when they leave it, whether that's by fates hand or the hangman's.

All in all this is a beautiful tale, told with compassion for the characters while giving all of them the strength and determination they needed to survive hopeful and horrendous times. Even knowing some about the Salem and Scottish witch trials the ending of this one gave me goosebumps and made me want to cry.

This is a solid 4.5 star book and I would love to read more by this author.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing an advance copy of this book, I have voluntarily read and reviewed it and all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Written as a fictional origin story for The Scarlet Letter, the true alchemy of Albanese’s narrative is in its depiction of a relationship between Isobel Gamble and Nathaniel Hawthorne. The tension! The chemistry! The red flags! Isobel is a young Scottish seamstress recently immigrated to Salem with her much-older husband, an apothecary with an opium addiction and an impossible dream to invent an elixir of life. In short order, her husband succeeds in building a pyramid scheme of investments in his fraudulent venture, steals his wife’s savings and abandons her in Salem while he sets off to sea. Enter twenty-five year-old Nathaniel Hawthorne - brooding, ambitious and set on Isobel.

Hester feels most similar to The Book of Longings in its desire to give women at the center of the narrative agency and voice. Midway through the book, as it becomes clear Hawthorne sees Isobel as his muse, she tells us “...I’m standing before him with a life of my own and a heart that is my own. I’ve told him my secrets and shown him my passion... And still, he looks at me and sees only himself.” And THAT is what we come away with from this read, the frustration that Hester and many women depicted in "classics" have never actually been the main characters of their own stories.

This was an immersive, page-turning read, though I struggled with themes that felt a bit overstated, and I was confused by the depiction of Isobel’s speech (described throughout as the rough Scottish brogue of a new immigrant with little to no formal education, but not written to reflect this?). Contrasted with the dialogue written for other characters, the inexplicably formal speech of our main character was a confusing decision.

HESTER is an imaginative retelling of the classic The Scarlet Letter, which I read in high school and admittedly didn’t love. The story is told in dual timelines between Scotland and Salem and while I enjoyed both, I enjoyed the Salem Witch Trial timeline a bit more.

I believe I’m in the minority, but the pacing felt a bit slow to me. I read this in the midst of newborn baby haze and I was craving a story with a bit more narrative drive. The most interesting aspects of the story for me were the Underground Railroad and synesthesia.

Overall, I appreciated the way Laurie Lico Albanese raised timely questions about what it means to live in America. While this wasn’t the right book for me at the time, I think historical fiction lovers will be satisfied.

RATING: 3.5 (rounded up to 4 stars)
PUB DATE: October 4

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for an electronic ARC in exchange for an honest review.

There were so many aspects that I enjoyed about Hester! It’s a perfect autumn read, taking place in Salem, the horrors of the witch trials still vivid in the town’s collective memory. As an immigrant, Isobel is looked at with suspicion, which only deepens when people see her mad sewing skills. Is she an enchantress? Or worse, a witch? I loved the inclusion of synesthesia, and how that translated into Isobel’s work. While it is something that she initially fears, Isobel eventually grew confident enough in her skills to embrace what she saw. In fact, Isobel may be one of my favorite protagonists of the year. She’s young and naïve, but she’s also hopeful and strong. At every turn, she fights for herself and her future. Isobel and Nat are also forced to contemplate what their future looks like, as they try to balance the reputation and weight of their family names. The middle was a bit too slow for me, though the last quarter tied things up nicely. I always appreciate a good epilogue that shows where everyone ended up! Isobel's lack of knowledge about the slave trade was a bit disappointing, as I thought she could have been an ally, or participated in some way, as opposed to being an outsider in a different way.

Nat was kind of an irritating character. So caught up with his reputation and family name, but wanting to break free of those restraints. Typical elitist white male, which I guess shouldn't be surprising.

Capt Darling truly was a darling and would love to read more about him!
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Thank you to @netgalley & @stmartinspress for an e-arc of Hester.

"Do you love me from afar when you are right next to me?"

The connection between writer Nathaniel Hawthorne and married seamstress Isobel Gamble is immediate when they see each other for the first time and so is my love for the haunting descriptive prose in Hester by the mesmerizing brilliance of author Laurie Lico Albanese.

The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne was ahead of his time writing a story about adultery and how the woman, Hester Prynne, was made to be unmercifully ridiculed wearing a red A for everyone to know her crime and shame. The man, well, I don't even remember his name. What made Hawthorne write such a controversial story? In Hester we are introduced to Isobel who may have been the writer's muse for his most iconic story.

I expected forbidden love; what I wasn't expecting was a story about The Salem Witch Trials, Hawthorne's and Isobel's ancestral connection to them, the beginnings of the Under Ground Railroad, the prejudices of the New World that has Isobel commenting, "...but this is the New World, isn't everyone new here?"

Why Hester wears the sewn red letter A for her supposed sin and its connection to Isobel left me gasping and in awe of this author's vivid meticulous imagination.

One of my favorite narrators, Saskia Maarleveld,was on point with all the different accents but her portrayal of Isobel's pain, abandonment, and surprise of falling in love was poignantly honest.

Listening and reading this story I experienced a writer masterfully bring colors and words to life. I felt this story with all my heart. The Scarlet Letter is a classic and Hester is a masterpiece of literary historical fiction.

I received a free copy of this book audiobook from the publishers via #netgalley for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

Happy Pub Day to St. Martin's Press and the author Laurie Lico Albanese.

Synesthesia is magical. I am sure it's hard to explain or might even be frustrating at times but the thought of it really intrigues me. I loved how the author took her story and married it with colors so vibrant that you could feel them. The way that Isobel described what she saw and how people really were (beyond their facade) was fascinating. I loved her "sixth sense" (is that what we call it, a sixth sense?)

I didn't read the original Scarlet Letter so I have no idea if this book is even close to the original. However, I would highly recommend anyone to read Lico Albanese retelling. From the different points of view to the witch trials, it kept me wanting to read late into the night.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC. I thoroughly enjoyed it!

I liked this one!! I’ve recently (within the past 3 years) reread The Scarlet Letter and although it is dense and hard to get through because of the old English, it’s a great story of women’s struggles and perseverance against all odds. Hester was the same. It’s such a cool concept to get the “prequel” to The Scarlet Letter. I often wonder how authors come up with their stories so it was really interesting to imagine this as Nathaniel Hawthorne’s inspiration. I loved the “witchy” vibes in this, which is fitting for October and spooky season. It is interesting and sad to read about the struggles women faced back in the 1800s and how some are still relevant today. I loved Isobel’s growth though. She transforms from a quiet, obedient girl to a strong, independent and self-sufficient woman. This one is out today! I highly recommend this if you like retellings, historical fiction about the Salem Witch Trials, and The Scarlet Letter itself!

I’d been in a serious reading slump when I picked up Hester. As a mood reader this is almost always me, not the book. I was cranky and needed a win, can you relate reader friends? I got into the bath with a glass of wine (highly recommend!) and started reading Hester. I was lured in immediately by the atmospheric, lyrical writing. I stopped only to think aloud “Oh, we ARE going to be friends. Do NOT let me down!”. She did not!

Hester by Laurie Lico Albanese is a reimagining of the inspiration for Nathanial Hawthorne’s Hester Prynne. It is the story of Isobel Gamble, a young seamstress, wife of an abusive, alcoholic, swindling husband Edward, who must flee Scotland for the New World in the early 1800’s. She brings with her secrets passed down generation to generation by women in her family. While Edward is at sea Isobel must survive anyway she can, finding work as a seamstress, and eventually meeting young Nathanial Hawthorne.

The author seamlessly sweeps us back to a time when anyone on the fringes of a community, who either can’t or doesn’t fall or adhere to societal norms, is ostracized and at extreme risk. Who do you trust with your story, who do you help or accept help from, and what do you do to simply exist out of view while in plain sight…and at what cost?

I felt such a connection to the women of the Gamble family, who experience the world in a way others do not. They are misunderstood, feared, diagnosed, learn to deny and hide their truths. I thought this aspect of the story was fascinating. #spoilerfree

I highly recommend Hester for fans of historical fiction, reimaginings and retellings, book clubs because there’s so much to discuss, and those loving stories featuring strong women telling #herstory ! Thank you to @netgalley @stmartinspress and @lauriealbanese for the digital review copy.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an egalley in exchange for an honest review

In Hester Laurie Lico Albanese speculates on the woman that might have inspired Nathaniel Hathrone(Hawthrone)'s Hester Prynne. As our story begins we are introduced to Scottish woman, Isobel Gamble, a young seamstress that descends from a line of women who see colors and have often raised the suspicions of the local people. When Isobel makes the passage to America, it is here that she and Nathaniel will cross paths.

Something in him knows— I believe this, even after all this time— that although his father will never return , a story just as powerful is coming toward him. It is me, bent into the wind, fleeing home with my colors and my needle and my own set of needs and dreams.
It is me with my red letter secreted away.

I can easily say that I was quite consumed by this story. It was one of my most anticipated reads of 2022 and it did not disappoint. I really enjoyed Isobel as a protagonist and I fell hook, line, and sinker for this reimagining. I was also intrigued by author Nathaniel Hawthorne who was certainly a man of his time. That's me not excusing his behavior as the story unfolds but rather accepting that "it is, what it is." I am even going to go as far to state Hester was better than The Scarlet Letter.

I’m a witch and he’s a sorcerer. Or perhaps he’s the sorcerer and I’m the cauldron. I wrap my arms around him and touch the place where his shoulder is scratched and raw. He cries out and my eyes fly open. I want to know him down to the soul.


* My quotes are taken from the ARC*
Publication Date 04/10/22
Goodreads review published 04/10/22

"Hester" by Laurie Lico Albanese is the fictional story of Isobel Gamble, the fictional muse for Nathaniel Hawthorne's "The Scarlett Letter." Told through a dual timeline, the book follows Isobel as she moves from Scotland to Salem, Massachusetts , only to be abandoned by her husband. Set against a backdrop of real historical events, the fictional Isobel must find a way to survive as a woman in a world dominated by superstition and men.

I found this book to be thoroughly entertaining, with an engaging story, strong female characters, and even a bit of "magic." Unlike a few other reviews, I was not bothered by the author's portrayal of Nathaniel Hathorne's character. This book is fiction after all, and feminist fiction at that. I loved the parallels between Isobel and Hester Prynne, Nathaniel and Arthur Dimmesdale, and Edward and Roger Chillingworth.

I think "Hester" is an excellent work of historical fiction and enjoyed reading it very much. Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest review.

This book was not for me. I think it would have benefitted for more sensitivity readers, and while I can tell that the author was trying to make a statement about the horror of slavery in early America, their descriptions and handling of the topic feel ill-managed.

When Isobel and Edward Gamble were forced to leave Scotland, they came by ship to Salem. Her husband gets a job on the ship after they land and goes out to sea, leaving Isobel by herself in the new world. Isobel knows she has to survive and does what she has to in order to make that happen. This is a different world for her, one she has to come to understand, and learn how to navigate through it.
Salem is where the witches were hanged and as Isobel starts to make a living by her needle and thread, there are things in her sewing that could be interpreted as witchcraft. As a seamstress, she creates clothing that hides women's imperfections, find ways to hide secrets, and it is amazing to read the things she does.
Salem has secrets, still has cruelty, and she tries to learn enough to make a living but go unnoticed. Her life isn't easy, but Laurie Lico Albanese writes the story, so it made me feel like I had stepped back in time. It was a different world, but even though it is a story, it taught me a lot about the going on during that time period, what women went through, and Isobel had to learn who she could trust. Sometimes she learned the hard way.
This is a book that will keep you reading, made me emotional at times, and it will show what people back then went through. I have never read, Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, so I don't know how close this story is to that, all I can say is I really enjoyed it.
I received an ARC from St. Martin's Press through NetGalley.

Classics may not be for everybody, but HESTER definitely breathes some much needed life into the woman who inspired Hester Prynne. This book took a minute to get into for me, but once things get rolling I was hooked. I highlighted a ton of quotes from this one. I really loved how this book centers women and POC as opposed to Hawthorne himself. The juxtaposition between Isobel and “Nat” really illustrates the shortcomings of privileged white men in a society dominated by patriarchy, and the strength that women had to draw upon to overcome the obstacles society threw at them, a testament to the many women who encapsulated the spirit of Hester Prynne. And the way that Albanese weaves historical themes and entities such as The Underground Railroad, 1820s Massachusetts and the Witch Trials of the 17th century was very well done.

I have never read the Scarlett Letter, but I did watch the movie adaption. I mainly picked up this book because it sounded like the witch season read – and for that it did not really disappoint, oh and the cover is pretty. There weren’t a ton of witches, but it had strong witch undertones and it was interesting.

Isobel is a young seamstress, having learned to sew from a very young age from her mother. Isobel has a secret though, letters have colors for her. Isobel hides this skill in fear of being called a witch, like her grandmother whom she is named after. Isobel marries the local apothecary and they soon make their way to the new world from Scotland. Her husband has a vice for poppy and this becomes a problem when he sets sail after they arrive in America and doesn’t make it home from his journey for a long time. While he is gone, Isobel becomes an established seamstress and falls in love with Nathaniel Hawthorne. When she becomes pregnant with his child, he throws her to the side and she is on her own. However, on her way to American she saved the captains life, and he has indebted his life to her. He helps her escape and establish a new life. Later, when her daughter is grown, she learns Nathaniel is finally a published author, having penned The Scarlett Letter.

I actually didn’t realize seeing letters as colors was a real thing, and the author did a great intro into the background of it. A small portion of the population is able to do that, and I found it rather interesting. This book was so interesting that I didn’t want to put it down. I have read some people found the pacing rather slow, but that was not an issue for me. I appreciated the use of the page breaks, that helped me when I did need a break. I was so excited that @netgalley and the publisher, @stmartinspress, for my e-ARC – THANK YOU! In return for the book I promised to write this honest review. This one publishes TODAY – So grab your copy, it’s a perfect read for this time of year.

I love historical fiction. I nearly hated The Scarlet Letter. Learning of the existence of Hester had me very seriously conflicted, but I decided to give it a go; I think the gorgeous cover tipped the scales for me. That was an excellent choice because this book was worth it. Beautiful story that provides the reader with a very plausible origin story for Hawthorne's creation, but also is a wonderful story on its own. Isobel was intriguing and captured my interest from the start. This was my first read from Albanese, but it won't be my last.

My thanks to St. Martin's Press, the author, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

"Hester is a vivid reimagining of the woman who inspired Hester Prynne, the tragic heroine of Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter, and a journey into the enduring legacy of New England's witchcraft trials."

I really enjoyed this book. Isobel has synesthesia, (experiencing) multiple responses when only one sense has been stimulated, In her case when she hears someone's voice she sees colors. But she is instructed by her mother to hide her condition or talent as at the time such "unusual-ness could be misconstrued as witchcraft.

She is an artist. She doesn't call herself that but she stitches her experiences and feelings onto her cape. Later she tries to make a living with her needlework. Author's descriptions of the pieces Isobel creates is very vivid and rich. I generally enjoyed this aspect of the book but I must admit It slowed down the book in places. She is told her patterns are enchanting but Isobel doesn't know if she is a witch and how she'd keep her powers from revealing them to others. Her grandmother is a woman accused of being a witch back in Scotland as well.

Interspersed with Isobel's story is the stories of Isobel's grandmother and Salem witch trials, of which Nat's ancestor John Hawthorn was a part of (mid to late 1600)

This is a story about love and desire. Since we know this fictional character was based on novel The Scarlet Letter we know the adultery is part of the storyline. The author doesn't romanticize it. Isobel is young, naive and lonely. She thinks she found her soulmate in Nat. Obviously he has a way with words and it dazzles Isobel. "What happened between Isobel and Nat was the love between an unformed girl held captive by her secrets and a haunted man held captive by his ghosts."

There is also an additional storyline about free slaves in the North, slave catchers and helping escaped slaved to safety. Mercy is a great character. Mercy and Isobel's friendship is a beautiful one. it is built on mutual trust and understanding.

I thought the premise was so original. what made Nathaniel Hawthorne write that book? Could it be autobiographical? Could he be the brooding handsome man who could not stand behind the women he loved due to his fear about ruining his reputation?

This was a rich, well researched historical fiction. Isobel's character growth is impressive. If you like layered historical fiction stories about grit and love and second chances and female friendship and ambition and creative power you'd like this book.


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An imagining of the woman And circumstances who could have inspired A Scarlet Letter.

The best parts of this were the small, very sensual but not overly explicit romance scenes. You could really feel the heat in a touch of hands or looks between lovers!

The very detailed descriptions of dress making, embroidery and the materials used were interesting but repeated far too many times. Actually, a lot of the book was interesting but a bit repetitive. It made it a lot slower than I would have liked. However, I’d still recommend and think it will be on many best of the year lists!