I just finished this book roughly two minutes ago and I am speechless.
I went into this book expecting a dark and powerful retelling of Salem’s witch trials, it’s impact and traces through the coming decades, and to hear a different side of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s story. This book followed through on all of that AND more.
Let me first start with the characters/character development. Isobel is the narrator of this story and through the years of her life we see incredible growth. We see real and raw growth that only happens as a by product of real and raw experiences. Laurie Albanese has perfectly written Isabel. Her relationships with those she meets, including Nathanial Hathorne, Captain Darling, Nell, Abagail, and especially Mercy, are powerful and real. They are never surface level and they explore the dark and ugly sides of desire and love while also showing the lightness and hope that accompanies love.
This story is a feminist novel, perfectly demonstrating how history has poorly treated women and minorities. Isobel is not free from mistakes and flaws, but she is powerful and she is strong and the women in her life are smart and kind and most of all courageous. This is a story about a woman that has been dealt a terrible hand of cards, but with the strength of those who care for her, and a hidden strength inside of her, she prevails.
I can’t recommend this book enough. Thanks Laurie Albanese, I will be purchasing a physical copy to add to my collection.

While I am certainly familiar with the storyline, I never actually read the original novel that this one is based around, but I could still appreciate what the author did here. I especially enjoyed the author's notes at the end that explained the research that went into this and how this work of fiction could potentially be close to the truth. Further, I don't know how the original novel dealt with slavery, but I liked how this book not only acknowledged it as an additional dark part of the time period, but also highlighted early Underground Railroad operations. I also appreciate the timing of this novel, as The Scarlet Letter was an early "banned book" and we are now somehow in a new era of banning books. As I write this on the eve of its release, I know this book is getting a lot of pre-release and I definitely think it lives up to its hype.

Hester was a solid read, there is originality in the premise and I am always intrigued by speculative historical fiction, especially when digging into the unknown aspects of historical figures’ lives.

The is an enchanting and witchy quality to the read which makes it perfect for a cold New England season. I’d be interested in how this reads if one more recently read the Scarlet Letter - for me it has been years but the callbacks were clear enough.

Albanese introduced original concepts, I loved the tie in of needlework and colors to emotions and storytelling. The book explored themes of wanting, community, womanhood, muses, and legacy. The start was a bit slow-paced but the last chunk was engrossing. It was fun to have grown up near Salem and be transported to the past of the familiar town by reading this book.

I had some issues with just how cartoonishly villainous and lacking nuance some of the characters ended up being. I respect where the book ended though, it wasn’t overly depressing and I was happy with where the characters ended up and the lasting impact of earlier actions, and the epilogue tied it all together seamlessly

Hester by Laurie Lico Albanese is a mesmerizing story full of mystery, with the central theme of guarding one’s extraordinary ability at the time, seen as witchcraft. If you love Historical Fiction, you will love this book. I definitely did.

Hester by Laurie Lico Albanese has written a brilliant reimagining of The Scarlet Letter from the female perspective. The Scarlet Letter is often part of high school curriculum, at least it was in my day, and honestly, I recall very little of it. After reading this, I’m hopeful that English teachers require reading of both the The Scarlet Letter and Hester, to compare POV, pacing and characterization. As a huge fan of her last book, Stolen Beauty, I was anxiously awaiting this one.

The book focuses on Isobel Gamble who is heavy with secrets about her synesthesia, her opium addicted husband and the stirring she feels when she first sets her eyes on Nathanial Hawthorne. Albanese brings the time-period to life with her use of language and setting. Just the way she’d describe the detailed designs Isobel stitched with her imaginative colors were incredibly portrayed.

Additionally, the author seamlessly brought both the Underground Railroad and the Salem Witch Trial to life, which added more depth and breadth to the storyline. There’s no doubt this book will be a popular pick for years to come. Well done!

Lauri Lico Albanese’s Hester is being appropriately released during Halloween season. Inspired by The Scarlet Letter, Hester tells the story of Isobel, a Scottish woman with a rare ability that runs in her family and that her mother has warned her to hide. Like Isobel’s grandmother accused of witchcraft, Isobel has synesthesia, the ability to see colors in shapes such as letters and in sounds such as voices. Raised on folklore stories of fairies and silkies, Isobel uses her “colors” to become a skilled embroiderer and seamstress.

When she makes a “good marriage” to Edward, a widower apothecary, things go bad, forcing Edward to take a job as a ship’s medic bound for Salem, Massachusetts, where he almost immediately leaves Isobel to fend for herself as he accompanies the ship’s captain in search of financial gain.

In a world of slavery and witch mania, Isobel quickly makes black friends and encounters Nathaniel Hawthorne, whose ancestors played a role in the infamous 17th century Salem witch trials. Wanting to ply her trade but hesitant to reveal her powers, Isobel wears her own embroidered red letter A, hidden away in a hem.
Readers interested in Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, Salem’s colorful past, or historical novels in general with strong female characters will most likely become engrossed in Isobel’s story beautifully written by Lauri Lico Albanese.

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advance reader copy of this new fall treat.

HESTER by Laurie Lico Albanese offers a captivating hypothesis about the inspiration for Hawthorne's Hester Prynne. This new novel is set primarily in 1829 in Salem, Massachusetts and while Hawthorne is one of the characters, the story mainly centers on Isobel MacAllister Gamble. She is a Scottish lass who has inherited synesthesia, the ability to see words and sounds as colors. She becomes a talented seamstress and her unusual (but misunderstood) abilities greatly enhance her needlework artistry which Albanese is so adept at describing. Being different is often a source of concern, though; Isobel and her ancestors (including Isobel Gowdie who lived in 1662 and was accused of being a witch) face potential ruin. The need for secrecy is key, yet Isobel struggles, asking, "But how can I live and be silent? How can I speak and be safe?" HESTER is historical fiction which confronts discrimination involving race, immigrant status, and gender. There definitely is a feminist message and the constraints which women encountered are shown especially when Isobel is betrayed by her husband and other cruel or weak men, further reflecting The Scarlet Letter. Learning to rely on herself and other women takes courage. At one point, Isobel muses, "I have begun to learn how a woman apportions and gathers what she needs to survive; what she sacrifices for beauty, sustenance, health, or children." This novel was deservedly chosen as a LibraryReads selection for October. There is an extensive author's note with many references. For those intrigued by the experience of synesthesia, look also for the middle-school novel A Mango-Shaped Space by Wendy Moss.

In Hester, the author creates a fictional narrative behind the well-known historical fiction, The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne. As the latter is required reading for most high school students, Hester fills in the proverbial void in the original. It brings color to the tale of a woman caught in the anti-female sexual mores of the time. Perhaps because of the familiarity of the preceding work, the reader will have certain expectations. Most of the time, those expectations were exceeded. On the rare occasion when that was not the case, I do believe it was owed to my own views of The Scarlet Letter.
I was fortunate to receive an advanced copy to review. All opinions expressed above are my own.

The originating question for this book was “What if Hester Prynne were allowed to tell her own story?” … and wow, what a story it is! This is a very a well-drawn reimagining of the woman who inspired The Scarlet Letter, and it has so much in it. From the position of women in society to the Salem witchcraft trials to 17th & 19th century feminism to issues of racism and slavery, it's dissected and brought back together with a fresh and unique perspective. I could't put this book down and it will stay with me for a very long time. Fans of Hour of the Witch and The Lost Apothecary will love this. Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the advance digital copy.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press for the ARC.

In a unique take on a retelling of The Scarlet Letter, Laurie Lico Albanese successfully allows us to revisit the pages of Nathanial Hawthorne's novel by taking us into the suggested enchanted inspiration of the story. Isobel, a Scottish woman forced to come to America due to her apothecary husband's love of opium, is quickly abandoned by him as he takes all of their savings and boards a ship as a medic. Left behind, Isobel and Nathaniel develop feelings and our Scarlet Letter backstory begins.

I really appreciated all of the layers in this book - the retelling, synesthesia, embroidery, the Underground Railroad, and what it took to be considered a person in America in the early 19th century. The dual timeline between Scotland and Salem was really well done, as was the intertwining of Salem witch trials, having a child out of adultery, and the Underground railroad. This one is absolutely perfect for historical fiction lovers.

3.5 starts. Hester started out interesting enough, though a lot more about sewing and needlework than I would have liked, though some of it was slightly interesting at times. Things pick up a bit once the main characters arrive in Salem and when Nathaniel Hawthorne comes on the scene, but the pacing was still way too slow for me to be truly engaged. The book slogged along while we waited for all the things to happen that we knew would happen (assuming we've all read Scarlet Letter) and while we heard more and more about all the exciting possibilities of embroidery. Wow, I'm nodding off just writing about sewing so much. It's a good thing this book is so short or I have DNF'd instead of waiting for exciting stuff to happen.

One of my other big complaints is the main character's anachronistic view of slavery. It's not ridiculous to think that someone from Britain who comes to America might have a more negative view of slavery than the majority of Americans of the time, but the way she talks about it rubbed me the wrong way every single time. I'm not sure I can point out exactly what was so anachronistic, but the main character simply could not understand how someone could own another person, something that couldn't have been widespread in the early 1800s. I instantly was thrown out of the book every time a character referred to someone as Black with a capital B, which is a very very modern spelling, and I think unlikely to be used at this time. I may be wrong because I haven't studied this time period, but I think most whites would call Blacks negroes at this point. Any time I saw that capital B, I was reminded that this was a book and that I was in the 21st century, not the 19th where I wanted my mind to be.

It wasn't until about 60% that the book starts to pick up and get interesting. By the final quarter, the book was humming along and nicely paced, but I can't ignore how slow the first 3/4 of the book is and how close I came to DNFing. The idea behind the book is a great one. Hester Prynne is one of American literature's greatest heroines and it's a cool idea wondering if she had a real-life inspiration, but it takes way too long for this book to get going and it really is too much about sewing. I get that this is how a woman would have supported herself, and it was almost slightly interesting all the stuff about synesthesia, but not really. She can support herself with sewing without us needing to read about every single stitch that she makes. Every time I read another section about what the main character was going to sew, it made me wonder if maybe this author really didn't have enough material for a whole book, so she just added section after section about needles and thread to beef it up. It's sad because the last part of the book was so cool that if the author had just started that part earlier and beefed that section up, it easily could have been a 4 star read for me.

I received a free copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Hester by Laurie Lico Albanese
Rating: 4 stars
Pub date: 10/4

The Scarlet Letter is one of my favorite classics, so when I heard that Hester was a reimagining of how Nathaniel Hawthorne created the iconic character, Hester Prynne, I jumped at the chance to read it.

Isobel Gamble is a young and very talented seamstress living in Scotland in 1829. She has synthesia, a rare sensory phenomenon where you see colors in words, and she has been hiding the condition all her life so people wouldn’t think she was crazy. Her family has a complicated history with being accused of witchcraft and she has no intention of repeating their mistakes. When her husband Edward’s opium addiction bankrupts them, they head to Salem, MA to start a new life.

The captain of the ship that brings them to America takes a liking to the couple and offers to bring Edward along with him on his next run for medical supplies. Isobel finds herself alone in Salem and has to rely on her talents and some new friends to help her get by. When she meets a troubled yet fascinating young author named Nathaniel Hawthorne, they begin the affair that would inspire the story of The Scarlet Letter.

This story is really well done. The author does an incredible job of transporting the reader back and forth between Scotland and Salem with a dual timeline, and the descriptions of each place made me feel like I was there. This seems like an accurate portrayal of what it was like to live in Salem during this time period, where gender and race disparity were still all too present. I loved learning more about the witch trials in both Salem and in Scotland, along with how the underground railroad was conducted throughout New England.

The pacing is very slow but when it was over I felt like I really knew Isobel and I was able to cheer for her successes and cry right along with her when she failed. If you like historical fiction reimaginings that breathe new life into old stories, then definitely check this out tomorrow when it hits shelves!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the gifted copy.

Having recently finished “Hester '' by Laurie Lico Albanese, I am happy to have had the chance for the e-copy; thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press!

Was this historical novel ever a fascinating and entertaining story! My memories and details of reading The Scarlet Letter MANY years ago in high school American Lit are very vague at this point, but from what I recall, the hours spent reading the required Hawthorne novel were definitely NOT as entertaining! I loved the creativity and concept for this possible origin of the classic.

For me, the most interesting parts of “Hester” were the moments the author spent detailing the “needle and thread” skills and abilities of the synesthesia-afflicted seamstress. Her creations were explained in a way that seemed to bring them to life in the story. I can even imagine that the gorgeous cover art was stitched by Isobel Gamble in 1829, especially when the tiny, scarlet “A” popped out at me! Very clever!!

Laurie Lico Albanese crafts a vividly creative story in Hester, conjuring the inspiration for the Nathaniel Hawthorne's Hester Prynne of The Scarlet Letter. Isobel, our Hester stand-in, immigrates to New England from Scotland with her sewing skills and questionable husband in tow.

Isobel does not have an easy go of her new life, viewed as "other" by most of the town, and needs to put her needle to work to survive. Isobel ekes out a living as a seamstress, glove maker, embroiderer. My favorite parts of the book are the vibrant descriptions of the colors, threads, fabrics Isobel uses in her fancy creations. There is a pair of gloves emblazoned with a leopard that I covet. The people of Salem are richly described, from the pettiness and hierarchy to its troubled past with the witch trials of the 1600s. Things get interesting when she makes the acquaintance of Nat Hathorne, struggling author and great-great-great grandson of one of the judges of the Salem witch trials.

Interwoven with the narrative of their friendship is the accounting of Isobel's ancestress, on trial for hardships encountered by her town in Scotland and accused of being a witch. Also present are the happenings of The Underground Railroad in Salem. It may sound like a lot, but Laurie Lico Albanese sticks the landing - it comes together beautifully.

My thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. Hester will be published in October 2022.

“In this sensuous and hypnotizing tale, a young immigrant woman grapples with our country’s complicated past, and learns that America’s ideas of freedom and liberty often fall short of their promise. Interwoven with Isobel and Nathaniel’s story is a vivid interrogation of who gets to be a “real” American in the first half of the 19th century, a depiction of the early days of the Underground Railroad in New England, and atmospheric interstitials that capture the long history of “unusual” women being accused of witchcraft. Meticulously researched yet evocatively imagined, Hester is a timeless tale of art, ambition, and desire that examines the roots of female creative power and the men who try to shut it down.”

I’m having a hard time with this review, as I hardly know where to start.

The gorgeous writing? Generally, when someone describes prose as ‘lyrical’, they likely mean the author needs to step away from their Thesaurus, but not this book. This book was BEAUTIFULLY written.

The twining of racism and sexism? Obviously, I’ve always considered the persecution of ‘witches’ through the lens of feminism (Patriarchy’s the worst, amirite?), but I’d never paralleled the intersectionality (can intersectionality parallel? No matter.) between witches and slaves.

Guys, I LOVED this book.

I loved the cover.

I loved all the crafty talk.

I loved the descriptions of both Scotland and America.

I loved the relationships between the women, both good and bad.

I loved that Isobel was Hawthorne’s Scarlet Letter muse.

I HATED Hawthorne.

Ahem.

I wish I had a physical copy of this book, just so I could highlight some of my favourite bits, because guys, this book is QUOTABLE.

“Why do men bind themselves to flags and nations, and women bind themselves to love?”

“It’s not that we are witches or fairies, or that we deny god. It’s that we are more beautiful together than apart.”

“As long as men are cruel and greedy, there will be refugees from other worlds – children running for freedom – Folks that need help.”

For the love. ADD. TO. CART.

9.5/10

Thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Macmillan Audio for this haunting ARC.

Isobel Gamble leaves her beloved Scotland to follow her disgraced husband to America for a fresh start. He abandons her almost immediately to sail to distant lands to chase his opium dreams. Now alone in a strange land, Isobel must become independent in a time when behaviour is watched and whispered about. Through Isobel’s tenacity, passion, and creativity she builds a reputation as an exquisite seamstress. Then she falls in love with Nathaniel Hathorne and the course of her life takes a drastic turn. From the witch trials in Scotland and Salem to the plight of slaves and the Underground Railroad, Hester weaves a hauntingly beautiful story of who Hester Prynne might have been.

Readers who enjoy historical fiction about independent women, or stories of strangers in a strange land, will be drawn to this book. I found it completely captivating and didn’t want it to end.

I’d like to thank St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is one of my most anticipated reads of the year and honestly this book did not disappoint. I read and listened along together to this book with the audio addition as well as the physical book. This book is about Lisobel Gamble and Nathaniel Hathorne, later in the book when he publishes The Scarlett Letter he adds the w to his name.

“History isn’t what’s written or told. History is hidden away in dark corners and shadows.”

This book is a dual timeline between Scotland starting in 1662 when Isobel Gowdie, the Isobel in the story is in her linkage line, is on trial for being a witch. And Salem, Mass 1829 where Lisobel and Nathaniel meet. In Salem Lisobel is trying to make a living with her needlework while her husband is sailing around the world in hopes of finding new cures he can sell in his apothecary. Nathaniel has graduated recently from college and is trying to to become a writer but is troubled by his families troubled past and his ancestors part in the Salem witch trials.

The book was such an interesting read. Growing up i always thought that somehow the puritans just “made it work: and created a home in the New World. But they used slaves, bartered and traded with other countries and it wasn’t all rainbows and sunshine. This book showcases not only the power of women and how we have to harness it and use it but also the fight against evil.

This book is a must read. I grew up loving the book The Scarlett Letter and so this was one I was dying to read but let me just say it exceeded my expectations. Run do not walk and get this book.

I read the Scarlett Letter in high school and just remember liking it but not much detail of the story. I enjoyed this book too. This was an emotional story that has a happy ending. There were some slow parts. My favorite part of the book was the character growth.

To be honest, I am pretty sure I only read the cliff notes of The Scarlet Letter in high school. Much of my knowledge of the storyline comes from the movie Easy A and I am not super proud of that fact. However, reading Hester makes me want to go back and read The Scarlet Letter because I found the time period fascinating.

Isobel is young when she is married and moves to Salem from Scotland. Isobel’s husband is kind of a low life and she is left in Salem to find her own way. She has grown up sewing and her gift is creating enchanting embroidery. Isobel’s life isn’t easy, but she makes great friends that show her what all is going on behind the scenes in Salem. Along the way she meets a young Nathaniel Hawthorne and his work in writing and her art in sewing inspire one another.

I do not want to give away too much of the plot, but I very much enjoyed the historical part of this story. The author interwove stories from the Salem witch trial and created this inspiration for Hester from the Scarlet Letter. Isobel is a young woman creating a space in a society that doesn’t particularly like women, outsiders, or anyone with special powers. The author did a great job of describing how life would be like for Isobel while incorporating ideas from the original storyline. Great historical fiction read!

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for granting me a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Hester has so much going on within the story. It drew me in slowly and I couldn’t put it down. I ended up loving this story more then I thought I would.
A riveting fictional story about Nathaniel Hawthorne in the early 1800’s. His writing of The Scarlet Letter and Hester Prynne plays a big part in this story.
The main character is Is0bel Gamble. She sees “colors” everywhere and uses this in her sewing. Some may say this is witchcraft. As a young child, she is told to not let anyone know she has this ability. She is able to take care of herself through doing piece work when her husband decides to leave her to go to sea. All alone, Isabel begins to be drawn toward Nathaniel Hawthorne. He is a dark and moody man with many secrets.
There is a undercurrent of witchcraft throughout the book that is intriguing. The story also brings to light the beginnings of the Underground Railroad.
A beautifully written historical novel by Laurie Lico Albanese that I highly recommend you read.
Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity tor read this book for my honest review. All thoughts expressed are 100% my own.