4.5 stars! I really enjoyed this historical fiction novel. It tells the story of Isobel Gamble, a Scottish seamstress who sees the world in colors. (undiagnosed synesthesia). She moves to Salem, MA (yes, of course THAT Salem), with her disgraced husband, where she meets and has an affair with Nathaniel Hawthorne, author of The Scarlet Letter. The novel is a fresh take on how Hawthorne was inspired to write The Scarlet Letter, with Isobel being his muse for Hester Pryne.

*Thanks so much to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an e-arc of this novel.*

Hester is a smart and vivid imagining of the heroine in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter. In the author’s notes, Laurie Lico Albanese explains that Hawthorne’s other stories were known to be based on some experience in his life. With this knowledge, she has created a novel that pulls at this thread and creates a forbidden romance between a woman named Isobel and a young Nathaniel Hawthorne.

Almost 200 years after the witch trials, Isobel Gamble is a recently married young woman that sets sail from Scotland to Salem with her new husband, Edward. She is a very talented seamstress that keeps secret not only the stories of the women in her family, but the colors she can associate with words and people. Upon arriving to Salem, her husband leaves aboard a ship as a medic hoping to build his apothecary business amid his increasing debts and opium use. When word reaches Isobel that Edward is unlikely to return, she is left to fend for herself in a town that is known for its lack of tolerance for non-traditional and unusual women; “witches”. When she meets young Nathaniel Hathorne, the two are drawn to each other; a storyteller and his muse.

While a little slow to start, Hester becomes a rich blend of speculative fiction and historical fiction. It is an exploration of creative women and the threat that has on men and the power they hold. Hester stays true to classic literature roots, but is wholly original while incorporating sexism, slavery, and immigration. With Hester, Albanese has written a classic of her own.

This is one of my favorites from 2022! I'm at a loss on how to describe this book, but in the best way. I felt like I was being pulled back in time.

I remember not caring for the Scarlet Letter when I read it (time for a re-read after this), but I throughly enjoyed Hester. The author did a wonderful job telling this story and incorporating elements from the Scarlett Letter. The story does go back and forth over various time periods and the transition is clear among them. The author wrote a wonderful cast of characters.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This was a beautifully written Historical Fiction story giving the classic Scarlet Letter a background of how Nathaniel Hawthorne came to create her. The story is told in a dual-timeline. I loved the complexity of Isobel's life and that Laurie Lico Albanese really puts you in the mind frame of what it is like to live in that time frame while being a woman who has this unexplained gift. Isobel's mother is terrified of what may happen is word spreads that her daughter is able to see these colors. Isobel is married to Edward who goes off to sea leaving Isobel behind. That is where she meets Nathaniel. They begin a forbidden love affair that sets of the rest of the story. This is the inspiration behind the story we all know.

This was a wonderful read, a little slow at the beginning as history has not always been my favorite subject. Overall very enjoyable.

Will be posting review the week of release on TikTok, Goodreads, and Amazon

Hester tells the story of Isobel Gamble, a young seamstress and immigrant from Scotland in the early 1800s who has traveled to the New World with her husband with the hope of finding a better life. Isobel is hiding generations of secrets in how she sees colors, suffering from synethesia, a condition in which letters and words and sounds are perceived through color. She views this gift as a curse as women in this time with unusual abilities were often viewed as witches and witchcraft was feared and believed to be evil.

Meticulously researched with an eye for detail, Hester provides a fascinating look at various issues in history particularly regarding women's roles in society. The Salem witch trials, racial tensions and prejudices, class differences, poverty, slavery and the beginnings of the Underground Railroad in the quest for freedom underscore the shattered hopes and dreams sought after in the New World.

This book is a retelling and puts a feminist spin on the inspiration for Hester Prynne, the heroine of Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlett Letter. Isobel is a fierce spirit, trying to find her independence and creative passion as she reaches for her dreams and goals, making her way in a world where women are typically silenced by men. Yet hope overcomes despair as Isobel finds the truth in words with the help of her colors, gathering courage and strength, learning who she can trust.

When Isobel meets Nathaniel Hawthorne, they are drawn to each other instantly in a story of forbidden desire and enchanted love between an artist and his muse. Nathaniel is haunted by the ghosts of his past while Isobel is shadowed by the secrets of her colors. Vividly descriptive with a contrast between darkness and light, Isobel and Nathaniel help each other through the pain of their respective pasts. But is their relationship doomed from the start?

Alternating between the present and the past, the story moved quite slowly throughout. Beautifully descriptive writing perhaps slowed the pace while the romance felt stilted as compared to other books taking place during the same time period. Both Isobel and Nathaniel were unlikable at times but each suffered in his or her own way. I found the story quite repetitive and I struggled with reading it but the thorough research and smart observations make this book an excellent choice for readers of historical and literary fiction.

** Special thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own. Available October 4, 2022. **

It took me awhile to get through this book. I’ve never read the Scarlet Letter so I didn’t know all the details. This story was beautifully written and I’m happy that I gave it chance and want to thank Netgalley for the ARC.

Such an interesting book…I could not put it down. Highly recommend! My thanks to NetGalley for an ARC copy of the book.

🕯🎗A seamstress with secrets: quite out of the ordinary!

This novel was unusual, not what I expected, good but possibly not the best fit for me. The idea of focusing on the possible origin of Nathaniel Hawthorne's novel about Hester Prynne as connected to incidents in Hawthorne's own life intrigued me and drew me to the book. The author weaves a good tale and the climax is full of exciting action.

The book is a bit drawn out and very descriptive as it's told from the perspective of Isobel, the character Hawthorne supposedly used as his model for Hester, and Isobel sees the world around her in a unique way thanks to the synesthesia that is passed down through the women in her family. Words and sounds, spoken and on the written page, usually evoke vibrant color in Isobel's mind and she constantly battles, as cautioned by her grandmother, to hide her unique view of the world for fear of persecution. For me, the synesthesia aspect was the least successful part of the story: it slowed the pace through its telling.

The novel also weaves three plots together. Though nineteenth century Isobel's story always dominates, the persecution of witches in seventeenth century Scotland and Salem enrich Isobel's story as she risks similar shunning and persecution.

This is definitely a story that emphasizes strong women. A worthwhile read.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for sharing a complimentary advance copy of the novel; this is my voluntary and honest opinion.

I loved reading the Scarlet Letter and was excited to read this. I really had no idea how the author was going to tell this and I was pleasantly surprised by it.
This retelling of Nathanael Hawthorn was so much more than just his story.
The author captured the depravity of man and the dark past that haunts us today in our history.
The writing drew me in to the mind of creativity and the cost at being different. This story didn’t hold back on the realities of the time. The church and social standing ruled the day. I enjoyed the layout of it and wouldn’t wanted it any other day. This wasn’t a happy story but a very real one. Would I read another by this author? Definitely
I chose to read and listen to this and the audiobook was narrated by Saskia Maarleveld and she was excellent. Perfect for this book.
Thanks Macmillan Audio and St. Martin’s Press via NetGalley.

This retelling was clever and inspired. It was an imaginative story for what could have led Nathaniel Hawthorne to write The Scarlet Letter. It's a fictional account but it really pulled me into the story and felt so grounded in possibility that I was quickly invested in it.

The main character in this book, Isobel, is a young immigrant who has been dealt a rough hand in many ways. Yet she pushes on and strives to find her way in a society that doesn't make it easy - - especially not for women. The story doesn't just touch on topics of how women had no rights, it also deals with witchcraft, abuse, slavery, class and social divisions and more. But at the core, the story demonstrates the will to survive at all costs. It was brutal, beautiful and touching and I absolutely LOVED it.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. I voluntarily chose to read and review it and the opinions contained within are my own.

A re-writing of The Scarlet Letter with the adulteress appearing as a seamstress with a talent for seeing words and speech in colors. And with Nathaniel Hawthorne himself as the cowardly father of her child. The author chose this deliberately believing that since all his other books were based on events and people in his life, so was this one. Haunting and romantic, it reveals the power of women to cope with the disappointments and problems in life. Based in Salem, MA, it dabbles with the histories of the punishment of women as witches.

Thank you @netgalley and @stmartinspress for this advance reader’s copy.
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I enjoyed studying The Scarlet Letter in high school, and I enjoyed Albanese’s fictional book based on the life of painter Gustav Klimt, so I was excited to dive into this story about the muse behind Nathaniel Hawthorne’s famous novel. Unfortunately, it fell a little flat for me after the 20% mark. What started so strong fizzled out as characters and relationships didn’t develop much throughout the story. The historical look at the Salem witch trials was the more interesting timeline for me, but it got very little page time. This book was very atmospheric, and it might be a good choice for a reader looking for something seasonal this fall, but not spooky.

4.5 stars. I have a love/hate relationship with The Scarlett Letter. This novel, an imagining of the woman who inspired Hester Prynne, is magnificent. The storyline is almost magical, but feels grounded in history. Isobel is a fantastic character, who learns to trust herself and her own strength, while learning about a new world. If only my 11th grade AP English teacher, Ms. Carey, were still alive - I would encourage her to read this book so that we could discuss it!

"Isobel Gamble is a young seamstress carrying generations of secrets when she sets sail from Scotland in the early 1800s with her husband, Edward. An apothecary who has fallen under the spell of opium, his pile of debts have forced them to flee Edinburgh for a fresh start in the New World. But only days after they've arrived in Salem, Edward abruptly joins a departing ship as a medic––leaving Isobel penniless and alone in a strange country, forced to make her way by any means possible.

When she meets a young Nathaniel Hawthorne, the two are instantly drawn to each other: he is a man haunted by his ancestors, who sent innocent women to the gallows––while she is an unusually gifted needleworker, troubled by her own strange talents. As the weeks pass and Edward's safe return grows increasingly unlikely, Nathaniel and Isobel grow closer and closer. Together, they are a muse and a dark storyteller; the enchanter and the enchanted. But which is which?

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."

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the free ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed herein are my own.

Totally engrossing from the first page. I don't know if I'd have picked this up without a recommendation from a trusted friend; The Scarlet Letter is not one of my favorite books. But I'm so glad I did. Isobel Gowdie Gamble is such a strong character, the kind who feels alive, that I wanted to know how her story would turn out. This reminded me of Tracy Chevalier's historical fiction, accurate and detailed but accessible.

Thanks to Netgalley for the advance copy.

Hester by Laurie Lico Albanese

I did not enjoy The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne back in the olden days when I had to read it in high school. This story takes Nathaniel Hawthorne (Nat) and places him in the world of Isobel Gamble, a seamstress, who has landed in Salem with her husband, in the early 1800s. Isobel can see colors when she hears sounds, although there are a few people whose voices show no color at all. Her late mother warned her to hide her talents to avoid being labeled a witch. Now she's come from Scotland to a place that has it's own horrible history with persecuting women that had been accused of being witches.

I prefer not to get wrapped up in stories that are all dreary misery and abuse for the men and women in them. And I'm not fond of stories that demonize all men. Once I got into this story, I could see that this one was more than a story about women being beaten down by all men. This story has some really good people in it, both men and women, and that's what allowed me to get into it and enjoy all that Isobel and others accomplish. The good isn't completely evident at first because Isobel has to be so cautious about trusting anyone. She's been pulled in by bad people before so she's guarded, just as others who might try to do the right thing have to be guarded since there are others who would slay them for their efforts.

There is not much known about what led Hawthorne to write The Scarlet Letter so that makes this story more interesting. The author gets to give Hawthorne a fictional setting where his surroundings and even his actions could have led to his writing such a work. This story is improves on the original for me and I wish this is what I could have read in high school.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for this ARC.

We read The Scarlet Letter in 9th grade. I have to admit, I never read the books we were assigned, at least not all of it. They were boring, OLD, and didn't really interest me much. But I did start reading The Scarlet Letter once it got interesting, and I actually did enjoy it.

This is a "prequel" to The Scarlet Letter. A story of Isobel Gamble who sailed from Scotland with her husband, Edward, to Salem, Massachusetts. Edward was not the nicest of people - he drinks, he does poppies, and he makes deals with people for money and then runs, But Isobel has a gift that she cannot tell people, she can see color. But just like Scotland, in Salem she cannot tell anyone. Once she arrives in Salem, Edward leaves for the Bahamas leaving Isobel in a new land, a new city, all by herself. Then she meets Nathaniel Hawthorn.

After meeting Nathaniel, Isobel realizes what love is and it is not with Edward. But she is married. After awhile Isobel finds she is about to have a baby, married, and living in Salem does not bode well with the townspeople, their history, and her way to makes end meet. Once more, Nathaniel has left. How will she survive.

Because I didn't read all of The Scarlet Letter, I was a little hesitant to read this. But since it was a "prequel" to he muse of how The Scarlet Letter came about, I was a little intrigued. In all, I could not put it down. I enjoyed it very much and will recommend it to friends.

Thank you to Netgalley, Laurie Lico Albanese, and St. Martin's Press for this ARC. All opinion are mine and I have not been compensated for them.

I was drawn into this book because of the cover and I stayed because the writing was excellent! I really enjoyed this book and loved how it was written. The plot kept me engrossed the entire time, and I struggled to put it down!

What a gorgeous delicious beautifully written book! Nearly all of us have read The Scarlet Letter and wondered about Hester Prynne and Nathaniel Hawthorne. Hester gives us a love story that inspired Hathorne to pin The Scarlet Letter while also weaving in immigrants and freed slaves. I loved that Isobel and her maternal ancestors shared the gift and curse of Synesthesia. This book made me want to make something with my hands. Too bad I have no talent whatsoever, but I can share these beautiful quotes from the book that I collected.

“Isobel Gowdie, Queen of Witches— she’s your namesake.” Her words were still golden yellow, which I came to know as the color of truth.

“Berries and plants in every color is the best way to grow a garden that makes you strong against sickness and bad spirits.”

How much time passes as we look at one another I cannot say— perhaps it’s the snap of two fingers. Perhaps it’s a full stanza of poetry.

“Bad men can do good things, and good men can do bad things.

“‘ If you kill me, God will give you blood to drink.’”

“If you don’t believe in witches, why would you believe in curses?”

“A dark soul can cast a long shadow over the living and the dead...”

“If hate can bring a curse into being, then what can love do?”

"...So long as you remember you’re as strong as you believe you are.”

"...what’s private can also be beautiful.”

...I’m a witch and he’s a sorcerer. Or perhaps he’s the sorcerer and I’m the cauldron.

...there are few words between what’s forbidden and what’s shameful...

“Law doesn’t care why a woman does what she do, just like the law says a slave can be free here and a slave can be caught here."

I was wrong many times. But I have also done many things right.

Red is passion and knowledge, but it’s also a warning of pain. Blue is hope. Yellow is truth, except when it’s part of fire. Orange is joy. Green is goodness and home.

...you must love what is close and true; you must look to the present and future and not to the past.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC: Hester is beautifully written historical fiction. While I've always found "The Scarlet Letter" a slog, "Hester" is lyrical, lovely and captivating. Albanese invented a character, Isobel, a young Scottish immigrant, talented seamstress, seer of voices in color, descendent of accused an witch who is the fictional basis for Hester Prynne. The book is well written and the characters fully formed. The social mores of Salem, the concerns of former or escaped slaves and the role of women in that era are fully explored. I don't think I'll be attempting Hawthorne's book again, but this book is a pleasure.

A brilliant retelling of the Scarlet Letter told from a very different perspective. Isobel leaves Scotland with her husband who is a bit of a cad. Upon arriving in Salem there are numerous challenges that befall Isobel and it is here that she meets Nat. This meeting changes her life. Albanese writes a book full of vivid imagery where her prose leaps off the page. Thrilled to read this early ARC thanks to NetGalley.