I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Hester was a wonderful retelling of The Scarlet Letter. I remember reading this book back in High School. Pretty sure we also saw the movie, but I could be wrong. So, I'll admit that I was pretty excited to jump into this book to see what would or wouldn't be similar to the original.

Long story short, I absolutely devoured this. I wouldn't necessarily say in one sitting, but I definitely enjoyed each and every chapter that came my way. In this, you will meet Isobel Gamble. She is a young seamstress and burden with lots of secrets. Family secrets but secrets still. She's originally from Scotland but sails to the New World with her husband, Edward.

Ugh, Edward. At first, I liked him but then my opinion on him quickly changed. Isobel definitely deserved better when it came to husbands because he wasn't the best. Not sure if he was exactly the worst one ever but he wasn't great. So, when she started a little affair with Nathaniel I was all for it. Mostly because it seemed like their feelings for one another were actually genuine.

Then that opinion quickly changed when he turned out to be the original fuckboy of the 1800s. He made me so mad that I just wanted Isobel to leave Salem and find happiness elsewhere. She was good at what she knew and likable. Someone was bound to give her what she deserved, right?

In the end, a lot happened. Whether it was family drama, affair drama, or just drama drama. I was completely hooked from start to finish. The little epilogue definitely made me happy because now everything is out in the open. And maybe, just maybe, the curse has been lifted?

I'm so happy that I got the chance to jump into this. Secretly looking forward to next book Laurie writes!

Name a favorite classic. For me, it's The Scarlett Letter. And now, I add Hester to the list of books with the same themes. I loved Hester and Nathaniel Hawthorne reimagined as the lovers waiting for Hester's husband Edward to return. If you loved the original, read this one.

*I received a copy of this book on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this opportunity*

In HESTER, author Laurie Lico Albanese tries to answer the question "What if The Scarlet Letter had been based in truth?". It's fact that Hawthorne's inspiration for his other works came from his own experiences, but very little is known about the origin of his most famous piece of literature.

This book, however, is a work of fiction, but it's a beautiful one. The main character, Isobel, struggles to conceal her synesthesia but is able to express the colors she sees in her work as an embroiderer. At first, she is conscripted to a life of white on white embroidery, but through the initially advantageous marriage to the local apothecary, she's able to create her art in piece. After seizing the opportunity to create a new life in the New World, Isobel follows her husband to Salem, Massachusetts-- where she finds a market for her illustrious work and a new love.

HESTER is a story as rich, and embellished, as a hand-woven tapestry. The descriptions are beautiful, and it was so easy to lose myself in the world Albanese created. Albanese discusses very heavy topics of American history-- namely the Salem Witch Trials, during which innocent men, women, and children were falsely accused of witchcraft and some killed, and the Underground Railroad, a group of men and women who risked their lives to help slaves find freedom in the North.

This story, at its root, is a tale of strong women forging their own path in a world not accepting of independence. It was a wonderful book, and I look forward to reading some of Albanese's other work soon!

*4.5 stars*

This fictional account of Nathaniel Hawthorne, his inspiration for Hester Prynne, and Salem in the early 1800's was riveting. I visited The House of Seven Gables when I visited Salem several years ago, and I also read The Scarlet Letter in high school, but this vision of Hawthorne was pretty eye-opening. Isobel Gamble is ostracized in Salem because she's Scottish, and because her husband moves her into a remote, ramshackle home, and then promptly leaves her on a foolish quest to get rich quick. Her romance with Nat Hawthorne is just one part of this novel. Isobel's tenacity to survive by using needlecraft was compelling, and I loved the descriptions of her elaborate designs. Even more riveting was the story of her neighbors-turned-friends and their involvement with the Underground Railroad.

This is a rich tale of immigration and bloodlines and special gifts in the time of witchcraft. Isobel has moved to Salem, MA, from Scotland with her disgraced husband. She meets and is hypnotized by Nathaniel Hawthorn and this book follows her journey with brief visits to the past, with details about her ancestor Isobel Gowdie, a woman accused of witchcraft. Isobel is a gifted seamstress, specializing in embroidery, where she sews in a little bit of 'magic'.
The details are deep and colorful, the characters stay true to their stories. This book covers a little bit of everything between witchcraft, slavery, sewing, drug use, families, classic literature, and adultery, but it doesn't get bogged down. The plot runs smoothly.

I was given a prepub copy of Hester for my honest review. This was enjoyable to read.

As a huge Nathaniel Hawthorne fan in high school and college, I could not wait to get my hands on this retelling of The Scarlet Letter and it did not disappoint.

The story takes place in the early nineteenth century Salem where Isobel dreams of starting her own dress shop. Blessed with embroidery skills and the rare ability to see colors in letters and words. Abandoned by her husband, she begins a relationship with the not yet famous Nathaniel Hawthorne and becomes the inspiration for Hester Prynne.

Set against the backdrop of the slave trade and the underground railroad, this novel is filled with both history and romance. The characters come alive and are full of color like the letters that Isobel sees. There is enough action to keep the reader turning pages, eager to find out if Isobel’s fate will match that of her alter ego. Highly recommended for fans of historical fiction and of course, The Scarlet Letter.

4.5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martins Press, and Laurie Lico Albanese for a digital advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review.

I had a hard time putting this book down. While this is a work of fiction many things are based upon known facts from the witch trials not only in Salem, but also in Scotland, which makes the story line so much more intriguing. Hester is the story of Hawthorne’s Scarlet Letter, told from the perspective of Hester Prynne. A gifted seamstress, she has been warned since she was a child to keep her special gift a secret- to guard it because it wasn’t something people would understand and could be dangerous. This book has it all- friendship, romance, importance of family and honor, social ills and the striving for good in the face of evil. #Hester #netgalley

I truly wanted to enjoy this book. Like so many of us, “The Scarlet Letter” was required reading in high school, every tiny bit of it was analyzed and annotated. It became almost like a baseline for how we study literature for the rest of our schooling. So I was quite excited to get a change to read this quasi-adaptation of Hawthorne’s original.

But the enjoyment wasn’t to last. I felt the pacing was off. Sometimes we’d speed through sections and others would drag on. And I was confused on the actual time period. Certain words and descriptions didn’t seem to fit the precise dating around the late 1820s, particularly around the mentions of fashion. There’s mentions of items that didn’t exist in the vernacular until a later decade.

As a version of “The Scarlet Letter” though, I feel like it works and the idea of Hawthorne using events true to his life adds a deeper level of meaning in the fictional universe created. From the very start, it’s quite clear how certain things would proceed and the added consequences do make the plot a bit more compelling. I just could never get into it and sped read through the second half of the novel in an effort to avoid DNF’ing it.

If Hawthorne’s work is a favorite, I’d recommend checking it out. For the more casual readers among us, I’d proceed with caution or avoid altogether.

Wow, I don’t know what I was expecting going into this story. I think I knew I’d enjoy it, but it being a bit of a different genre than I’m normally accustomed to, I wasn’t sure I’d love it as much as I did.

The writing in this was stunning and the premise was so much fun. This book is going to be an easy recommendation from me to many of my friends and I’ve now bookmarked this author for future reads.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

WHAT A TREASURE. What an enchanting, provocative and powerful story. I am still under the spell of this book, but I will do my best to pick my jaw up off of the floor and gather my thoughts.

Albanese captures a beautiful setting - Salem, Massachusetts, 1829. 20 years before the publication of The Scarlett Letter and a century following the Salem witch trials - fact, fiction and folklore are weaved together wonderfully.

I love a story with characters whom I cannot quite figure out. Just as Isobel grapples with discerning who she can trust from who she cannot - I did too.

Having read The Scarlett Letter, I knew the general direction this story was to go. So. Someone please tell me HOW THE HELL I remained in a state of hysterics, fervently flipping through each page, anxious to know just how “the real” Hester Prynne’s story would unfold. Phenomenal writing - that’s how.

I really enjoyed this novel. Clever back story for The Scarlett Letter, good prose, good plot, satisfying ending. Well done!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of Hester to review. The following opinions are my own. This novel is a fictional account of the story underlying Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter. Although I was generally familiar with the story, I can't honestly say whether I've ever read the novel in its entirety. I was drawn to this novel by its description and cover and thoroughly enjoyed the story. A big part of the story revolves around the main character, Isobel, and her needlework. The descriptions of the fabrics and threads really drew you into the story and summoned the "colors" that Isobel sees and works with. This was a very enjoyable read with a satisfying ending!

Beautifully written, and not boring or too predictable even though we know the story. The premise of writing a character who then the scarlet letter is “based off of” I was very happy with this unexpected twist on a classic

Before I finished, I contacted my library friends to request an ARC...it's THAT good. I loved the book and although I knew the story, it wasn't a tired re-telling as so many could be. I sew and had seen tambour needles and had no idea what they were for. Youtube convinced me I didn't want to experiment, but wow. The history and attention to detail was wonderful. The story kept me reading way past my bedtime and I can't wait to see what else this author has in store!

What if you could learn the backstory to a classic piece of literature from the person who was the inspiration for one of the lead characters in the book? That is the premise behind Hester by Laurie Lico Albanese. Ms. Albanese has taken inspiration from The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne and created a captivating piece of historical fiction where the reader is introduced to Isobel Gamble, who will be the basis for the character of Hester Prynne.

Set in 1829 Scotland, the story introduces Isobel to us as a young girl with a unique ability. One that she is advised to keep secret. Descended from a family member who was accused of witchcraft in the mid 1600’s, Isobel has been taught to keep her ability to herself lest she become an outcast. She learns to become a talented seamstress at a time when marrying well is the ultimate goal for women and is able to use her special skill, while keeping it hidden at the same time. The reader is taken on a journey that follows Isobel into a marriage filled with trials and deceit. A journey that takes her to Salem where she and her husband must start anew. One that allows the reader to see and understand what motivates her, gives her strength, and makes her the potential subject of a story to be written by Nathanial Hawthorne.

Ms. Albanese has included historical background that brings this time alive for the reader and intersperses it throughout the book. No knowledge of The Scarlet Letter is necessary to read this book but, if you have not read it, you will most likely want to after reading Hester. If you have read The Scarlet Letter, you may find yourself wanting to read it again with new eyes. A very well written book, Hester will keep you turning pages and wishing for more.

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

Wow—this book was really powerful and nothing like I thought it would be—it is sadly, really on the nose for the way women are being treated in America—past and present.

Hester was such a beautifully written story, truly transporting me to Isobel's world with every stitch. While I sometimes get a little hesitant reading about a real person in a fictional story, I thought this was really well done. I thought it was more a story about being a woman and the strength found in community. Really enjoyed.

I was enthralled by Hester. It's been years since I read The Scarlet Letter, but this historical fiction novel in which the main character was Nathaniel Hawthorne's inspiration for his famous protagonist, took me right back to that world. Hester is a powerful story about feminine strength. I loved the inclusion of synesthesia in Isobel's character. It's something that is always fascinating to read about. Greatly recommend.

So who was the inspiration behind Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter? Apparently, all his other works have background material that’s been passed down throughout the generations. All except The Scarlet Letter. This book according to the publisher is “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 and her ancestors have some unusual gifts. They perceive sound in color. One can imagine how well that is received in the era of witch-hunting. Isobel does her best to keep her gifts hidden. As a young bride she and her husband make a frantic escape from Scotland to the New World. She’s hungry to open her own clothing shop but her husband’s greed and incompetence keep that from happening. He leaves her alone in their new home almost immediately and returns to sea to try to make a living. In her isolation she develops a relationship with a young Nathaniel Hawthorne. (I don’t think those are spoilers. The Scarlet Letter was published in 1850.)

I read The Scarlet Letter several years ago and was blown away. It was so far ahead of its time. I absolutely loved it. If you’ve not read it, please do. It’s remarkable.

Thanks to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for an advanced copy of this book. It will be released 10/4/22. While you’re waiting read The Scarlet Letter!!

Isobel's journey to Salem had me hopeful, holding my breath, and yearning to see her in a place of safety. By far, I would not classify this story as romance, but there are little bits of nearly-love stories. The story features lots of dramatic turns without overwhelming details that may require trigger warnings and the overarching themes of determination and independence, magic, womanhood, motherhood, and of course, survival.

If you love historical fiction surrounding the stories of strong women, Salem, The Scarlet Letter, or like topics, I think you'll enjoy this!