This is the story of Isobel Gamble who aches for the colors of red, yellow and blue.
Who is the real Hester Prynne?
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. 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.
This book is too much of the mystical and magic.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley. This in no way affects my opinion of this book which I read and reviewed voluntarily.

I absolutely loved this book! It brought to life the epic story arcs of classic tales, but with a modern feel.

I imagine if Hester Prynne had been narrating the Scarlet Letter, she would have told a very different tale. This feminist retelling of the classic gives Hester her voice and agency back.

Hester's a skilled seamstress with a secret: she can see colors when people speak. After her older husband loses their house and business in a bad business deal, they travel to America for a fresh start. They are befriended on board by the ship captain, who hires her husband for his next voyage. Her husband pays her rent for a year on the cottage, then promptly leaves her all alone in a new country. Hester soon meets the mysterious young Nathaniel Hawthorne, who enchants her. As her woes pile up, their friendship provides a welcome escape, with Hester even entrusting him with some of her deepest secrets.

This book brought a gothic touch to New England, where the witch trials a few generations past still loom over the current inhabitants. Each of the founding families had a side, with none more prevalent than the Hawthornes, whose ancestor served as chief prosecutor. Anyone who is too skilled at something still runs the danger of being accused of witchcraft instead of celebrated for their talents, including Hester with her embroidery.

Hester's an enchanting heroine, both vulnerable and fierce as she carves a space in a man's world for herself and her future baby. Hester's life was wrecked by the man who was supposed to make it secure, her husband, but she pulls herself up with her wits and skill. She loves, suffers rejections and failures, and finds a way to triumph through learning to trust again.

This is a book I will read again and again.

Thanks to the publisher for the advance review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for Hester coming out October 4, 2022. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Set in the 1800s, Hester explores writer Nathaniel Hathorne’s inspiration for his heroine in The Scarlet Letter. The story starts out with Scottish born Isobel Gamble marrying Edward young. She has generations of secrets. He is an apothecary who has a pile of debts that force him and his young wife to flee to the New World. Soon after arriving in Salem, Edward joins a ship as a medic. This leaves Isobel alone in a different country and forces her to make money on her own.

Isobel meets a young Nathaniel Hawthorne. They are instantly drawn to one another and soon grow closer due to their similarities. Nat is haunted by his ancestors who condemned innocent women to death during the witch trials. Meanwhile, Isobel is a gifted needleworker who is concerned about her strange talents.

I absolutely loved this book so much! I love learning about the Salem witch trials. I had to read the Scarlet Letter in school and I was fascinated by it. Hester is one of my favorite characters, so I knew I would be interested in this story. All of my favorite themes are in this book. The writing is so beautiful and haunting, woven with tragedy and joy. I was afraid it would be similar to the Scarlet Letter and it was, but I appreciated the happier tones throughout. I loved that Isobel found a support system among the women of Salem and that they didn’t all shun and abandon her. She was able to start a new life with her daughter. Although there was a lot of tragedy, I loved the ending.

I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys historical fiction doused with magic, mystery and intrigue.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Hester is based on the life of a woman who served as the model for Hester Prynne in The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne. Isobel Gamble, a seamstress, and her husband Edward sailed from Scotland in the early 1800s. She and her husband left Edinburgh for the New World in search of a fresh start and a better future after he ran up huge opium-related debts. However, just days after they arrive in Salem, MA, Edward leaves to work as a medic on a ship leaving port, leaving Isobel penniless and in need of a means of subsistence. Isobel develops feelings for a young Nathaniel Hawthorne while Edward is away, and the two become close.
The Salem witch trials and the underground railroad are also mentioned. I was eager to get my hands on this because of my fondness for The Scarlet Letter and The Crucible. It was an enjoyable read.


I'd like to express my gratitude to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

When I was a teenager I was enthralled by the PBS miniseries offering of "The Scarlet Letter" starring Meg Foster as Hester Prynne and John Heard as Reverend Dimsdale. Even though I owned copies of the book, I never actually read this classic as I was off put by the writing style. However, I was so affected by the poignancy of the story that setting my Panasonic cassette recorder from the seventies next to the television, I taped the audio to savor in the future (which I did multiple times; a presage of my love of talk radio and podcasts in decades to come). So when I first saw the inviting cover of this book weaved with red roses and the name "Hester", I instantly knew what it was about- and grabbed it!

The premise of this book is that Nathaniel Hawthorne (the eventual author of "The Scarlet Letter") was inspired to write it by a real life woman he encountered named Isobel Gamble. At the time she was barely 20 years old, as she disembarked from a ship on the shores of Salem, Massachusetts. She had emigrated from her native Scotland along with her much older husband, pharmacist/pseudo physician Edward. The moment she alighted from the ship the handsome/tortured young writer Nat Hathorne set eyes on red-haired Isobel, which ignited the events to follow. Isobel is an extremely gifted embroiderer, and employs her parents' advice to "trust the needle" as she parlays this talent into a means of survival. Husband Edward goes off on another long ship journey as physician, while Isobel must make a home and a life in his absence. Isobel "sees" colors when people speak (synesthesia) and associates certain colors with specific letters. When Isobel displayed these tendencies as a child her mother worried because of a family history involving witches. Nat Hathorne also had a colorful family history, as his ancestors were directly involved with the Salem Witch Trials. He bears an inbred guilt and melancholy because of this.

The writing style was easy and free flowing. I particularly enjoyed reading about Isobel's industrious sewing skills which involved not just embroidery but making all sorts of clothing for her ever increasing clients. In her youth she learned the critical tailoring skill of hiding people's various deformities. One of her customers was a young bride to be from a prominent family that had fallen pregnant well before the wedding, and Isobel deftly designed a wedding dress to conceal this scandal. She navigated business relationships by working for people who took advantage of her considerable skills for middling financial gain in order to slowly build her own clientele. This was a young woman who knew great sadness, but had strength, strong survival instincts and natural intelligence. As I read the book I kept thinking I would rate it a 4, but as the story came to a close it impressed and touched me so much that I felt it deserved to be pumped up to a 5. This was both a very inventive and appealing idea for a story, and I'm sure will lead people to either read "The Scarlet Letter" book or see one of the movies. Well done!

Thank you to the publisher St. Martin's Press for providing an advance reader copy via NetGalley.

An entertaining historical fiction. I loved Isobel as a character. This is a great read for fall - the New England setting and the history of Salem and the witch trials weaves into the story. I enjoyed the connections and Easter eggs to The Scarlet Letter. Recommend for fans of historical fiction!

I received this from Netgalley.com.

An interesting read. This gives a new twist to Hawthorne's classic. And 'what if' Hester Prynne told her own story, this might be it.

The writing has great flow, tragic characters and it was riveting that Synesthesia was used to help tell the story.

3.5☆

The Scarlet letter was one of my favorite books read in school - so when I saw that there was going to be a retelling - I had to read it! This is a take on the SL that I never knew I needed - but DAMN!! This book is completely intoxicating and will hook you! I absolutely LOVED this book and highly recommend it! I didn't want to put it down. A true Masterpiece

Five stars. What a treasure!

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this audiobookThank you to St. Martin's Press and netGalley for allowing me to read and review this digital arc

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Here’s the idea/concept: what if Nathaniel Hawthorne’s character Hester Prynne from “The Scarlet Letter” was real? And so here you have “Hester” as Isobel and a reimagining of an American classic.

I loved this idea and I was really excited to read this book, and I’m not going to say that I was disappointed, because I wasn’t. I just never truly got into the book and it’s characters. But, don’t let that turn you away from this because it was beautifully written and it captured Salem, Massachusetts and all of its 17th, 18th, and 19th century Puritanical social mores that I personally love to hate.

Thank you @netgalley for selecting me to read an advanced copy of this book.

#netgalley
#readmorebooks
#readmorebooksbywomen
#mybookishlife

This book was very different. In the foreword the author Albanese tells us it will use synthesis as poets such as John Keats and Emily Dickinson use. It works really well in some parts, and I loved it. But then in other places it didn't work. It seemed contrived like the writer was trying too hard. Our main character is Isobel Gamble, a young Scottish woman who comes to Salem in America with her husband Edward. She is a seamstress and tells stories and events her family's lives and her life in her needlework, for example, sewn into the lining of the cloak. I thought it was fascinating when I learned this was true. Many Seamstresses at that time did this. It is a story of adventure, betrayal, intrigue, mystery, and love. Yes. Nathaniel Hathorne plays a part in this tale too. Hester is beautifully written and I really enjoyed it. I highly recommend it. I look forward to reading more from this author
My thanks to.the author, the publisher and Netgalley for giving me the chance to read it as an early read.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

So yeah, I loved this book! This is the story of Isobel, a young Scottish immigrant to Salem, MA in the early 19th century. Her husband has been hired as a doctor on the ship that brought them to the US, so she's on her own for her first few months in a new country, a new city. She meets a young Nathaniel Hathorne, who dreams of being a writer. As they get to know each other and as Isobel falls in love with Nathaniel, she becomes a muse for him and for his best known work.

The novel is part love story, but also a lot about how women have shaped Isobel, in her past and her contemporaries. That's the part of the book I really liked best. Isobel comes from a line of women with synesthesia, and every letter, every word has color to her. But she lives at a time when to admit this would mark her as a witch. When Isobel's husband steals her dowry and leaves her penniless, she has to figure out how to make money. She's extremely skilled with embroidery, and dreams of one day having her own shop. Women in her community come together to help her survive. When her employer turns on her, other women in her community keep her from starving. And when she ends up in the greatest danger, yet more women in her community come together to save her.

So sure, this is a love story between Isobel and Nathaniel. But it's also about women finding their strength within themselves and within each other.

Isobel lives in Scotland - a descendant of her namesake living in 1662 and who was labeled a witch.

Isobel sees colors which is called synesthesia, and her mother tells her she must see everything in black and white or they will label her a witch like her grandmother.

Isobel is an excellent seamstress and stitches beautiful scenes on clothing. She marries an apothecary, but he gets into trouble, and they sail to America.

She arrives in Salem determined to use her skill to become independent because her husband took a job on the very boat they came over on. She will live alone in a remote cottage.

While her husband is away, she meets none other than Nathaniel Hawthorn. Yes. The author of THE SCARLET LETTER.

Since her marriage is not filled with love, when she sees Nathaniel she gets an instant feeling that they will become friends.

Do they become friends or lovers?

She is married, and he is not.

Will one of the hidden A’s she sews into her clothing be something she will have to prominently display?

HESTER is a beautifully written book focusing on women’s strengths and a take on The Scarlet Letter.

Seamstresses, fans of The Scarlet Letter, historical fiction fans, and fans of this time period will enjoy this book despite some of the odd chapters about witches. 4/5

This book was given to me by the publisher via NetGalley for an honest review.

This retelling of The Scarlett Letter is one of the few books this year that I couldn’t put down. The author gives life to “Hester” (a character inspired by Isobel) and Nathaniel Hawthorne prior to the publishing of his novel The Scarlett Letter. The chapters alternate between two timelines so that you hear the story of Isobel’s ancestors and get a richer sense of the history of the Salem witch trials.

The way that Albanese takes themes and plot lines from the original book and transforms them is magic itself. Isobel feels so much shame from failed relationships and a forbidden pregnancy yet her strength is in her ability to persevere and create a new life for herself in Salem. Isobel has synesthesia, a condition that weaves its way into her work. While she initially tries to hide her colors in shame, she comes to realize the power that they hold. Unlike in The Scarlett Letter, you see more of a passionate love story unfold. I was particularly struck by some of the female friendships, especially Isobel’s friendship with Mercy. The way the two women support and empower each other in the story gives hope for the future.

The writing in Hester is absolutely captivating. If you’re a fan of classic literature, historical fiction, and feminism, please pick up this book this Fall!

I just reviewed Hester by Laurie Lico Albanese. #NetGalley

A wonderfully written story that intertwines lives of those who lived during the Salem Witch Trials and the lives of the families after. It's a story packed full of those searching for a better tomorrow and seeking their own form of freedoms which takes many of them on different paths or brings them full circle back to where they least expect it. Its about families and the secrets they hold that can either set you free or keep you from the happiness you deserve.
It's a story full or color and intrigue and that art can be found in the most hidden places.
I fell in love with Isobel and her grit and determination to make a better life for herself where ever that may lead her. Along with her talent for sewing and seeing colors in her surroundings, Isobel is a woman who is creative, who has a huge heart who loves deeply and trusts openly. She gives her heart to a man who's past haunts him and he does what he can to make a better name for himself and the legacy his family left behind.
Hester gives you a glimpse of life post Salem Witch Trials and how even though those days are past, they are still very much present.

I loved the reimagination idea of this story better than the execution. The beginning was quite slow and hard to get through, but then it did get better about 30% of the way through.

I love these books involving the witch trials.
This one grabbed me right from page one.
Thoroughly enjoyed the plot.
Great read.

The Scarlet Letter was one of those books that a vast majority of American high school students were forced to read. I don’t remember it fondly. But I was drawn to the idea of the woman who inspired Nathaniel Hawthorne to write it.
This is my first book by Albanese but it won’t be the last. It’s beautifully written, scenes so detailed they’re easy to imagine.
Isobel has been blessed or cursed, depending on your viewpoint, with synesthesia or multiple sensory experiences. She sees words as colors. It’s the early 19th century and not long since women viewed as different were burned as witches. One of those earlier women was her ancestor. As a young girl, she marries an apothecary. But his addiction to opium lands them in the poorhouse and then on a boat to America. She’s gifted with the needle and uses it to support herself once he takes off again on a boat as a medic.
Isobel was fully fleshed out and I was immediately drawn to her. She’s independent and knows her own mind, but she’s still constrained by the limits society places on women. She plays a dangerous game by befriending a single man, Nathaniel Hathorne (he later added the w to distinguish himself from his ancestors) while her husband is away.
So often, dual storylines don’t work. But here it does. There’s the 17th century story about first Isobel’s ancestor in Scotland and then the Salem witchcraft trials (Hawthorne’s great-grandfather was a judge). And then the 19th century story is about Isobel. In both instances, women who are seen as different face persecution.
As with The Scarlet Letter, the story has a lot to say about morals, religion, freedom and societal mores. How men take what they want from women and then blame them for “enchantment”. The ending was superb.
I both listened and read this book, which worked beautifully. Saskia Maarleveld did a superb job as the narrator. But I was so glad to have the e-book as once again the audio publisher has done the reader a disservice by neglecting to include the Author’s Notes. This is so important in historical fiction and I wish more audio publishers understood that.
My thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio/St. Martin’s Press for an advance copy of this book.

Hester is a reimagining of the woman who inspired Hester Prynne from Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter.

Isobel Gamble, a seamstress set sail from Scotland in the early 1800s with her husband, Edward. Her husband's addiction to opium had incurred a mountain of debt, and they had to leave Edinburgh for the New World with hopes of a new life and brighter future. But after days after arriving in Salem, MA, Edward joins a departing ship as a medic, leaving Isobel with no money and having to scramble to support herself.

When Isobel meets a young Nathaniel Hawthorne, she feels an attraction and with Edward still gone, the two grow closer...

This book also touches on the Salem witch trials and the underground railroad. I had both the book and audiobook of Hester and found myself mainly listening to the audiobook.

Like many have mentioned, The Scarlett Letter was required reading in High School. I loved the book and have several copies of it that I have found in antique book shops, so this book was right up my alley. I enjoyed how Isobel was a strong character who was self-sufficient and a survivor.

Well written and gripping!

Stunning! Beautifully Written. This is the Best Book I have Read in 2022. This is the one to Recommend. If you love Historical Fiction, you will love this book. I definitely did.

The book starts in Abington, Scotland where Isabel’s mother is dying. She has always known Isobel has a special way of seeing. When she sees people or hears words, she envisions that as a color. This is actually something called Synesthesia, but at the time the book takes place this was unknown. Isobel has always been creative and talented with the needle, meaning she has learned to do beautiful embroidery. Then the colors just flow freely for her. However, her mother is afraid if others find out it will be seen as she is either insane or practices witchcraft.

We come to learn that Isobel was named after her ancestor, Isobel Gowdie, thought of as Queen of the Witches and was actually arrested at the Salem Witch Trials. Another Aunt was sent to an Asylum. Since this happened, the caution is understandable. Yet, the colors are where Isobel finds all her talent.

Isobel marries Edward and due to some dire circumstances, they must leave Edinburgh and set sail to the United States. Captain Darling runs the ship and looks after Isobel until they get to Salem, Massachusetts. Isobel is naive and does not know the history of the US. Her husband leaves her in Salem by herself. She is incredibly resourceful. I admired her tenacity so much. She knows she is talented with her needle. She is willing to do what she needs to do to survive. People do not trust newcomers from Scotland and it is difficult for Isobel to get by.

She meets Nationiel Hathorne. She is just 19 and he is 24. There is an instant attraction and connection. This is a retelling by the author as she imagines how Nationiel lived prior to publishing The Scarlet Letter. Isobel finds he has a dark past that both are tied to. Isobel has always been scared of her colors since it is tied to the Salem Witch Trials and she finds Nationiel is tormented since his Ancestor was part of sentencing the women as witches. So, he sees Isobel as his vision for his book, yet she of course is a real person, with deep feelings.

This is where Isabel’s strength comes through. She must make many very troublesome decisions. She knows of the past and it is not just about witches, but also how Salem is attached to making money off slavery. She connects with other strong people and this is the true beauty of this book. At some point, you need to either live in the horror of the past or chose to find love and hope in the future even when you know all the cruelty and evil that is in the world. She knows she has power if she believes she has power and others will see it that way too. She has the ability to stitch her own story, thread by thread. That is how she is going to not only survive, but thrive joyfully.

This is a story of hope, beauty, love, pain, disappointment and strength. It is about taking the magic each of us has and that creates passion and then using it to make the world a bit more beautiful then when you started.

Thank you NetGalley, Laurie Lico Albanese, and St. Martin’s Press for a copy of this book. I am always happy to leave a review.

This is historical fiction, I think loosely based on Hester Prynne and Nathaniel Hawthorne. Several generations of women, in Europe and "the new world", are characters. Isobel comes from Scotland to Salem MA, in the early 1800's, and quickly has to find her own way as her husband becomes an addict. She uses her sewing skills to make a living. There is interesting history here, especially about the Underground Railroad. Three and a half stars for this one. #hester #laurielicoalbanese #bookstagram #booklover #readersofinstagram #reader #bookblog #bookreview #bookrecommendations #takeapagefrommybook #historicalfiction #netgalley