Albanese conjures up an outstanding prequel to Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter. Her surrogate for Hester Prynne is Isobel Gamble, a young , Scottish needle worker who possesses exceptional sewing skills and seeks freedom from the constraints of society.

Her skills are enhanced by her ability to visualize sounds as colors, however; her mother warns her to never tell anyone about her gift because in the past female family members were accused of witchcraft. In addition, her parents advise her to use her needle to help herself.
Years later because of her husband Edward’s opium addiction and a short imprisonment in the poorhouse, she and Edward sail for Salem, Massachusetts where they hope to begin anew. During the voyage, she meets the ship’s captain, William Darling, a kind and giving man, who encourages Isobel to use her embroidery skills to improve her position and presents her with many colorful silk threads . Captain Darling assists Isobel more than once in her times of need.
In Salem she accidentally meets the writer Nathaniel Hawthorne and believes he shares her longing to be free and the two begin an ill advised romance the leads to talk of adultery and far worse for Isobel.
Moreover,Isobel must make hard choices for herself and for the sake of others.
The novel stands out because Albanese skillfully describes the sound of colors throughout the story and her characters have depth. Furthermore, she highlights the historical prejudices of 1829 Salem.

I have never read the Scarlet Letter, but I don't think you need to read it to be able to enjoy and appreciate this book. Don't read this if you are in the mood for a fast-paced book, this is more of an eloquently written historical fiction. That is not to say you won't want to keep reading, however! I was entranced by Hester and her relationships throughout the book, especially the one she forms with Nathaniel. This is the perfect book for the fall season!!

See Below for Synopsis:
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 really enjoyed this book! The author’s writing was beautiful and I could vividly picture the scenes. I felt the main character, Isobel, was fleshed out, strong, and easy to root for.

Also, I’m a cross-stitcher, so I loved the detailed bits about Isobel’s needlework and how it was a central theme throughout the book and her life. I totally understand her love of the needle and thread! :)

Thank you NetGalley, Laurie Lico Albanese, and St. Martin’s Press for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review! Hester is a very fascinating book that follows and reimagines Hester Prynn from “The Scarlet Letter” - which is one of my favorite classics.

In this story, Isobel Gamble is a young seamstress who journeys to the New World with her husband Edward. However, things quickly change and she is forced to learn to survive in a new place on her own. Nathaniel meets her and they become closer as the story progresses. I really liked the writing in this book and how it focuses on Isobel’s power and her gifts. It features the witch trials and other parts of history as well and combines a love story with a story of survival.

This is an easy book to read and I finished it quickly. I recommend this one!

I adored this book. What an amazing re-imagining of the story behind The Scarlet Letter. I had read the Scarlet Letter in high school and loved it from the start. Reading this fictionalized account of how Nathaniel Hawthorne found inspiration for his novel was an adventure. I loved seeing the themes repeated in this story and the explanation of how they found their way into the 1850 novel.

Laurie Lico Albanese weaves a compelling tale of enchantment and artistry. A story of immigration, slavery, the historical abuse of women, of judgement and prejudice. There were so many elements of the story that were woven tightly together just like Isobel's own embroidery. I loved the flashbacks in time to both Isobel's ancestor and to Nat's ancestors. It felt like I was reading Arthur Miller's The Crucible, The Scarlet Letter, and an entirely new story wrapped into one.

Even if you don't have fond memories of required reading in high school or a fondness for "classic" literature such as The Scarlet Letter you can find enjoyment in this novel. I very much recommend this one, it's a perfect eerie setting for fall too!

This is a magnificent story of a woman with synesthesia and her unique art of needlework.
Isobel Gamble sees colors differently. Her mother told her not to mention this to anybody because she would be declared as a witch or closed in the asylum. Marrying Edward, Isobel has a hope for a brighter future but didn’t expect her husband to be addicted to opium, which ruined his apothecary. They were forced to go to the New World where life is not what she expected. Her husband joins a ship as a medic leaving her without money and food. When she meets Nathaniel Harthorne, who is so different from her husband and who supports her unique needlework, her hope for a better life returns.
Beautifully written, with a douse of mystery, this book takes the reader to a world powered by men who easily accuse innocent women of witchcraft. I loved Isobel, her strong personality and the fact that she could see colors in words and implement them into her stiches. Not only do I prize the author for her outstanding writing, but also for her ability to tell a captivating story from Salem.
Many thanks to the publisher @StMartinsPress and @Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book.

really had no idea what to expect with Hester especially since I really disliked The Scarlet Letter when I had to read it in high school but this was so good.

Isobel sees colors. People's words have colors and each letter of the alphabet is a different color. She dreams of using all the colors in her needlework until she stitches a scarlet A and her mother becomes worried. What we call synesthesia now was called witchcraft back then and could have a deadly effect. When she marries Edward, a local apothecary, she thinks she will settle into a nice life but Edward has a dark side. After he becomes an addict and loses their money they move to Salem to start a new and better life but after they get there Edward has a scheme and sets off to sea again leaving Isobel with no money. She turns to her needlework and again starts seeing all the colors. She is also attracted to Nat Hathorne, a struggling writer.

There was a lot going on here. Her relationship to Nat and Edward. The people in the town look down on her thinking her little better than the Blacks and Indians but she perseveres trying to sell her needlework and make a living. Add in some runaway slaves and great characters like Isobel and Captain Darling and Mercy and this was a great read.

I would like to thank Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with a digital copy

This book has an interesting premise, but it falls flat from the jump. The best parts are the 1600s parts, looking briefly at John Hathorne’s involvement in the prosecution of the Salem Witch trials and Isobel Gowdie’s trial for witchcraft. I liked how they informed Nathaniel and Isobel’s lives in the present, with each of them living in the shadow of their respective legacies.
But I feel like it was a mistake to try to make this into a romance that is taken directly from the pages of The Scarlet Letter, especially as it completely emasculates Nathaniel. Even taking into account the context of the time period, it feels odd to me that he would ostracize her, then years later write a romantic-tragic tribute to her.
I do somewhat appreciate the acknowledgment of how hard it was both in the 17th and 19th centuries to be “different” and/or step outside what was considered conventionally acceptable as a woman. However, the execution of it in the midst of the other elements fell very flat.

I received this as an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.


I don't remember much about The Scarlett Letter, mainly that it was the only assigned reading i ever liked in high school. I think that made this book that much more enjoyable for me.

If you remember the basic plot of TSL you won't be surprised by major themes, however, the prose.... the prose! This book is beautiful. If you liked Magic Lessons by Alice Hoffman, you will enjoy this! It's magical, realistic, and you can easily imagine every stitch Isobel creates. And if you don't run to Hobby Lobby for embroidery floss, hoops, and fabric I'd like to know how you stopped yourself because I think I have a new hobby thanks to this book!

Not for me. Too far-fetched. Taints original intent of The Scarlet Letter.
Paula Reed's novel, ironically of the same title, is a much better actual sequel to The Scarlet Letter.
I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

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.