Isobel Gamble is a young and amazingly talented seamstress. She and her husband Edward are forced to leave Scotland for a fresh start after his opium addiction has destroyed their lives. Upon arriving in Salem, Edward soon departs as a medic on a ship, leaving Isobel without money or friends.

While Edward is gone, Isobel falls in love with Nathaniel Hawthorne. And then, as the title suggests, Isobel must deal with Salem’s strict religious expectations, the town’s historical persecution of women, rigid social stratification, and all of the other means by which power can be retained by those who already enjoy it.

This novel is exceptionally well written and researched, and the author provides the reader with some very fine historical fiction. (And, no, you do not need to have read The Scarlet Letter to enjoy this book.)

In the author notes at the end of the book, the author tells us that all of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s books had some basis is his life except for the Scarlet Letter. Now imagine that in his time he had an illicit affair with a young married woman whose husband was away at sea. Could this young woman be the inspiration for Hester Prynne and could Nathaniel himself be the inspiration for Roger Dimmsdale? This is the premise of Laurie Lico Albanese’s new book. Throw in synesthia as a reason to accuse a woman of witchcraft, runaway slaves and you have the ingredients for great historical fiction. The action was a bit slow for most of the book, but the last part of the book had me reading as quickly as I could to find out how it would all end.

I have to admit this one had a slow start. The entire first half was on the slow side, but by the time I got to the second half I was completely captivated, so it was worth it.

I somehow made it through all my years of schooling without reading The Scarlet Letter, and now I kind of wish I had. This was such a clever way to write a “retelling” because instead of re-writing the story, she wrote this book based on her idea of the author’s inspiration for the original story. Brilliant!

This book follows Isobel Gowdie, a granddaughter of an accused witch, a seamstress, and a Scottish woman looking for a fresh start in the “new world” (Salem, MA). She runs into and falls for Nathaniel Hathorne (The Scarlet Letter author) and the story for how this book came to be unfolds.

All of the details came together wonderfully in the end. Oh, and all of the writing revolving around Isobel “seeing colors” (what is now known as a condition called Synesthesia) was really beautiful and interesting.

I love a good “witchy,” 1800s era historical fiction, and if you do too - you’ll surely enjoy this one!

Hester by Laurie Lico Albanese
#fiftyfifthbookof2022 #arc

I love that this book begins with an explanation of synesthesia. Its link to a historical perception of witchcraft is the perfect background for this reimagining of the woman who is the inspiration behind The Scarlet Letter. I haven’t read that book since high school and hated it at the time, and didn’t retain much of the story, but I don’t think that matters. This story stands alone as its own and is enchanting.

That said, I can’t speak to how accurate the story is to the historical woman, but I don’t care. The character of Nat is alluring until he’s really not, and again, I don’t know enough about the real life Hawthorne, but boy, is Isobel better off.

The descriptions of the colors and embroidery are worth the price of admission and they are gorgeous. I would love to see some of the real life work the author researched to create this part of the story. The threats of witchcraft accusations due to synesthesia are terrifying but the images they inspire are amazing. And that cover!

The author managed to capture the feelings of an immigrant to Massachusetts, the state’s link to slavery, and the question of what makes an American, all while describing the most gorgeous embroidery from a woman learning how to depend on herself. Highly recommend.

Thank you to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for the advance copy. (Pub date 10/4/22.)

#hester #synesthesia #inlovewiththecover

"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.

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 Glasgow 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. Meticulously researched yet evocatively imagined, Laurie Lico Albanese's 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 love women reclaiming the narrative of stories that are ingrained in us due to high school literature classes.

Isobel is a woman with kinesthesia, who sees colors associated with people and words. She’s been taught to keep this ability secret because the original Isobel was tried as a witch a hundred years prior. Luckily, she escaped and had descendants who also shared this gift. The Isobel of the book emigrates from Scotland to Massachusetts in the mid 1810’s, far removed from the days of the Salem Witch Trials, but not in sentiment.

This book is so interesting, yet it’s hard to describe. It’s sort of historical fiction, sort of fantasy, too. Isobel meets the author Nathanial Hawthorne, best known today as the author of The Scarlet Letter. Isobel is seen as the inspiration of Hester Prynne, right down to her skill as a seamstress. I’ve personally never read Hawthorne so I can’t say how close the author gets to his subject, but it’s an engaging tale even without having read the classic.

I do have to say that the mood I felt while reading Hester reminded me very much of Magic Lessons (Practical Magic #0.1) by Alice Hoffman because of the setting and accusations of witchcraft and Puritan beliefs. But that’s the only similarity. Isobel isn’t a witch, she’s an embroiderer, but she’s also a foreigner, which naturally begs suspicion from the locals. She’s befriended by a free black woman with two young kids, and I thought the author did a good job explaining how Massachusetts was a free state, yet slave hunters were allowed there to track down people and return them to the south. Isobel reads and sees things and has many questions, and an early look at the Underground Railroad is shown to both her and the reader.

Because it’s so rare now, I had a hard time imagining the intricate embroidery described, but I sure had a great time trying! My mother, aunt and grandmother were skilled with the needle, a talent I did not inherit.

I have been very lucky lately to read some awesome ARCs, and this is another one. Very engaging, entertaining, I just didn’t want to put it down. Highly recommended!

I loved this book. I read The Scarlet Letter in high school and thought this new take was inventive and fascinating. I love how the author went back and forth between the centuries to the Salem witch trials. The language was enveloping in its description, and I loved learning about synesthesia and the descriptions of how words and letters have color. The author is a master storyteller! I went back and forth between the ebook and audiobook and loved listening to the voice of the narrator. So soothing and added an additional dynamic to the story. Highly recommend the audio! Posting review soon on Instagram @tiffanyvt4

I love a good retelling, and Hester is fascinating and beautifully done.

It is the story of Isobel, a seamstress and Scottish immigrant to Salem, Massachusetts, in the early 1800s. An extraordinarily gifted artisan, Isobel creates striking embroidery, partly due to a sensory phenomenon we now understand as synesthesia. Synesthesia is the perceptual phenomenon where you experience one of your senses through another. For instance, Isobel experiences letters and words as colors. But she must keep this a secret to avoid being accused of witchcraft. When Isobel meets a young and rather complicated Nathaniel Hawthorne in Salem, the two are drawn toward each other. Then, her opium-addicted apothecary husband sails off on ship as a medic, leaving her to fend for herself in the New World. As She and Nathaniel draw closer, Isobel becomes the muse for his most famous character, Hester Prynne, in the Scarlet Letter.

I don't remember much beyond the broad details of The Scarlet Letter from when I read it in high school, but that didn't impact my enjoyment of this story. I don't think you even need to have read the source material to enjoy this. It is a well-written and utterly compelling work of historical fiction. Isobel is a vividly written character, and I rooted for her throughout her trials. The book handles some difficult themes, such as the witch trials and their ongoing aftermath, the beginnings of the Underground Railroad, class struggles, and the societal constraints placed on women. But there are also themes of forbidden love, hope, bravery, and the resilience and strength of women.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to review this ARC. I thoroughly enjoyed it!

This is a fantastic historical fiction novel. It's a beautifully written and captivating story. I felt totally transported to Salem in 1829. The author's imagining of the fictional woman who inspired The Scarlet Letter was a creative way to retell the original story. Will definitely recommend this to those who enjoy historical fiction.

I loved Hester. It was simply riveting and unputdownable. Like most of my generation, The Scarlett Letter was required reading for HS English. An American Tragedy and The Scarlett Letter taught me the terrible price women pay for risking sex outside of marriage. Albanese has reimagined Hester Prynne in the form of Isobel Gamble, a young, married Scottish immigrant who arrives in Salem and meets Nathaniel Hawthorne, a struggling writer. I am not always taken with retelling of classics, but Hester gripped me from the get- go and I look forward to reading more from Albanese. . Many thanks to St.Martin’s Press for a galley in exchange for my honest opinion. Well done and Highly Recommended!

We all know the tragic heroine, Hester Prynne, from Nathaniel Hawthorne's [book:The Scarlet Letter|12296]. This book is a reimagining of the woman who inspired Hester Prynne. I had to read it, just couldn't resist.

Isobel Gamble comes to the New World from Scotland with her husband. Her ancestor was Isobel Gowdie who was to be hung for witchcraft in the 17th centruy, but she escaped. Isobel Gamble has inherited the ability of synesthesia - she sees words and objects as colors - and people would fear and be suspicious of this ability. Isobel hides it as best she can, but she has dreams of becoming a pattern maker and her ability helps her make beautiful work that others love.

When Isobel Gamble arrived in Salem, in the New World she first connects with Nathaniel Hathorne and they later become romantically involved, even though Isobel is married. Her husband went aboard a ship and took all the money Isobel had - she had to find ways to survive on her own. This is a tragic story that went places I could never have imagined - even involving the Underground Railroad.

I enjoyed the book and liked the writing style. It keep my interest throughout the story. I liked the character Isobel and was pulling for her all along to succeed with her pattern making and to get away from her husband. Early on I didn't like Nathaniel and liked him less and less as the story went on.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press through Netgalley for an advance copy. This book will be published on October 4, 2022.

| About |

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.

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 Glasgow 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. Meticulously researched yet evocatively imagined, Laurie Lico Albanese's 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.


| Thoughts |

Whimsical, and intriguing. Really enjoyed this imaginative retelling of how Hester Prynne from Nathaniel Hawthorne’s acclaimed novel The Scarlet Letter came about. The underlying magical realism with romance, history, and heartache filled me with such emotion that I devoured the book in want amounted to a day. Having to know what came next. This is a must read especially for Hawthorne fans.

I very much enjoyed this clever reimagining of how Hawthorne came up with the idea for The Scarlett Letter - this novel reads almost as though it is non-fiction, though there are certainly liberties with history. Any novel where we get glimpses into the ways that historical women had to manipulate their agency is a thumbs up to me (as long as it is well-written) and I appreciated the smoothness of the narrative.
I'll suggest this to students and other folks interested in historical fiction and adaptation.

4-4.5 stars!

I really enjoyed this unique reimagining of the woman who inspired Hester Prynne from Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter.

Isobel Gamble sails to Salem with her husband Edward whose piling debts caused them to flee from Scotland. Soon after their arrival, Edward joins the departing ship, leaving Isobel alone and destitute in an unfamiliar country. She must use her skills as a seamstress and embroiderer to make a living until her husband returns, but during his absence, she meets Nat, a young writer haunted by his ancestors who sent innocent women to the gallows. Isobel too harbors secrets about her ancestors, and though it has been centuries since the witch trials, she must keep her strange talents to herself lest she be shunned by the townsfolk who already treat her like an outsider.

Overall, I was intrigued by this story and the creative spin on “Hester”. The author’s writing was so descriptive that I felt I could see the very colors that Isobel associated with the letters she embroidered. I think an illustrated version of this book would be wonderful, though the author’s depictions already paint a pretty vivid picture for the reader. Either way, I thought this was an excellent read and I’ll definitely be recommending this book!

*Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing a copy of this book to review.*

This was a beautiful historical fiction book. It is a fictional book about the woman who inspired Hester in the Scarlet Letter. Isobel and her husband leave Scotland for the New World. Her husband abandons her and she has to make her own way. She meets Nathaniel Hawthorne and the two become friends. This is an odd time period as women are convicted of being witches just by being a bit different. This was a book I read quickly as I couldn't put it down. I received an advanced readers copy and all opinions are my own.

If it was possible for me to give a standing ovation to a book I would have done so as soon as I finished the last word and sat it down. This book took a well known story and brought it back with a vengeance. There was so much heart in Isobel and her story and if you grew up with any kind of love for The Scarlet Letter and the story told within those pages you should add this book to your TBR immediately!

I DNF'd this at 10%.

The writing was OK, but didn't really speak to me. I found myself reading sentences and paragraphs and wondering what the point was or even what I just read. Maybe I wasn't in the right headspace for this book, or it was requiring more effort to read than I currently have. Maybe someday I'll pick it up and try again, but at this point it just isn't the book for me.

I received this book free of charge from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

With beautiful writing and wholly captivating story, Hester shines in its way of bringing out her enchanting prose and delivering a story that will keep many coming back. Hester is a tale inspired by the character Hester Prynne from The Scarlet Letter. The Scarlet Letter was a book a lot of us have probably read, but it's safe to say—don't come into Hester expecting anything like it. Told through dual timelines (which happens to be one of my FAVORITE things in a story), Isobel is such a beautifully written protagonist, and the disability she held truly allowed me for to learn. For those of you who adore historical fiction and prose to die for along with it, Hester should most definitely be a buy!

I really enjoyed Hester by Laurie Lico Albanese. It's a great origin story for The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne. Hester lends a different perspective to the narrative and vividly shows what life was like for women in the past.

3 stars, upped to 4 because of the audiobook narrator

Hester is historical fiction that imagines the life of a woman who inspired Nathaniel Hawthorne’s famous book, The Scarlet Letter. The story unfolds at a leisurely pace (a bit too leisurely for me, to be honest), with lots of descriptions of the natural world, especially as seen through the eyes of Isobel, a highly skilled seamstress who sees colors in words (a condition called synesthesia) and who does magnificent embroidery. Isobel’s life starts in Scotland, where she learns to hide her ability to see colors in words, due to a family history of women having been accused of being witches. Interestingly that happened in the 1660s, not that much earlier than the Salem Witch Hysteria in the 1690s, and Salem, Massachusetts is where Isobel winds up, after emigrating with her husband, an apothecary who had fallen into opium addiction and bankrupted them.

Hester sheds light on what it really was like to live in Scotland and New England (specifically
Salem) in the early 19th century, with all sorts of societal strictures, especially for women. In addition to the main storyline of the affair between Isobel and Nathaniel Hawthorne, the author weaves in the generational fortunes made by families who owned slaving ships and the plight of Blacks in New England. They were free but they lived in fear of slave-catchers. The law allowed escaped slaves to be taken back to slavery in the southern states, with large rewards for their capture. Even free-born Blacks could be captured (as happened to Solomon Northrup, who wrote the memoir Twelve Years A Slave), so “just” being free wasn’t really a protection. I knew nothing about Nathaniel Hawthorne’s life and that was an interesting aspect of the book. However, I didn’t see what attracted Isobel to Nathaniel and vice versa, so their romance/relationship didn’t move me.

The author inserts short chapters that are supposed to transport you back to Scotland in the 1660s and Salem in the 1690s and beyond. I didn’t think these were necessary and took away from the main narrative by disrupting it.

Reading Hester has given me an incentive to re-read The Scarlet Letter which I read many decades ago as a school assignment.

I mostly listened to the audiobook of Hester, which was beautifully narrated by the ever-excellent Saskia Maarleveld. Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to an advance copy of this audiobook and to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance reader copy of this book. All opinions are my own.