Wow. What a wonderful story full of real life mixed with magic in a way that kept me turning the pages way past my bedtime. I was so enchanted by the way the author was able to tell the story with the same magic in her words as her main character, Isobel, had in her colors and needlework. Thank you to Netgalley for the copy of this beautiful work. It’s easily a 5 star for me, even though it’s pretty different than most other books in my favorites list.

Based off of the character Hester Prynne from The Scarlet Letter, Isobel is a Scottish girl who moves to Salem after her husband lands them in the poorhouse and they need to start a new life. She wants to make a living sewing and embroidering. She has synesthesia, meaning she sees colors and patterns in sounds and words, leaving her work enchanting to the eye and almost magical. She doesn’t tell anyone about her secret though, as her ancestress was accused of witchcraft in Scotland for that very reason. When her husband leaves for a trip and doesn’t come back, Isobel starts to fall for Nat Hathorne, a writer who lives with the guilt of the role his family played in the Salem witch trials. As they fall in love, some dangerous secrets threaten to ruin a lot of people’s lives.
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A super cool concept of the story behind The Scarlet Letter. This book was thoughtfully written and definitely well researched. It was also so cool to read about a person with synesthesia. Imagining the things that Isobel saw really made you use your imagination. I also loved the snippets from the past witch trials in both Scotland and Salem.
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The best moments were truly when Isobel was was creating and trying to make it on her own as a seamstress. Her dresses and gloves sounded so gorgeous and you could really envision them and all of the work she put into them. I also loved the inclusion of the early Underground Railroad system. A very cool addition to an already impactful book.
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Read The Scarlet Letter! If you live near Massachusetts, go visit Salem as well. The city is full of museums and rich history of that very crazy time in our history.

For all The Scarlet Letter and witchcraft trial fans out these, Hester is a MUST READ! This is the story of Isobel Gowdie. She has a gift of seeing colors; colors in words, colors for people, colors for feelings. But is this a gift or a curse? Is she a witch? Set in the 17th century, she lives in a time when women whom are accused of witchcraft or being a witch are hung or burned.
We also meet Isobel Gamble, some one hundred and forty years later, the ancestor of Isobel Gowdie. She arrives in the New World, and her path crosses with Nathaniel Hawthorne. She learns to be independent in a world that is controlled by men. She is captivating!
I fell in love with this book from page one. While I do not usually gravitate towards historical fiction, this is purely brilliant writing with vivid detailing and accurate notes to history. For anyone who has enjoyed this time period, Hester is a must.

Thank you to NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Hester is the harrowing story of a Scotswoman who immigrates to America as her husband, who works as a pharmacist, attempts to outrun his demons. On the journey, Hester manages to save the captain’s life through quick thinking and sewing skills. They arrive in Salem, Massachusetts, and a few short weeks later, Hester’s husband ships out again with the captain, taking with him what little money she had managed to set aside. And so, like the heroine of The Scarlet Letter, Hester turns to her needle to make a living. Soon, she meets Nathaniel Hawthorne, who is moody, yet entrancing, and becomes enmeshed in the secrets that still haunt Salem.

Loved this modern twist on The Scarlett Letter! Great book! I enjoyed getting to think about the family backgrounds of the characters and the description of the “colors.”

I was lucky enough to get an advance copy of Hester, and I really enjoyed it. I read The Scarlett Letter in high school, but don't actually remember TOO MUCH about it, as memory fades after so many years, haha. Anyway, Hester, set in Colonial Salem, has the POV of Isobel Gowdie, a Scottish immigrant who comes over to the new World with her husband, dreaming of owning her own business as a dressmaker. She is excellent at needlework and her husband is an apothocary-turned-doctor whose addictions and cruelty leave Isobel to fend for herself. her friendship with Nathaniel Hathorne leads her into unexpected feelings and not to be too spoiler-y, their relationship proceeds down unknown paths. Knowing the plot of The Scarlett Letter is not necessary, but since this is supposed to be Hawthorne's "real life" experience as inspiration, there are definitely parallels. The author also includes plot lines of the trans Atlantic slave trade, which is an interesting addition as many of the books set in this time period either ignore it completely or gloss over it. Since it's told from Isobel's POV, you do get a lot of her thoughts and descriptions of needle work, which are interesting but add a lot to the immense length of the book, but I blew through the book and highly recommend!

[Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for providing me this Advanced Readers Copy in exchange for an honest review!]

The writing in this book was truly gorgeous. The characters were so detailed with many layers, especially our main character, Isobel. The author wrote of vivid imagery in Isobel's needlework and gorgeous scenery in Salem. This is a work of fiction, but this novel made me hate the very real Nathaniel Hawthorne.

However, I feel the marketing of the story did the novel as a whole an injustice. To me, this book seemed like it was marketed as a literary feminist retelling of The Scarlet Letter. While that may be partially true. this novel is definitely more of historical fiction than literary fiction, and it is more a combined retelling of both The Scarlet Letter and the Crucible. While that may not be off-putting to some, that wasn't the novel I was described when I requested this ARC.

Hester by Laurie Lico Albanese is generally a book I would skip due to the genre-but NetGalley was offering it up to the first 1000 requests and I was intrigued by the synopsis so I gave it a go. And I’m so glad I did. It was beautifully written, captivating, and I was actually sad that it ended. Definitely a recommended read!

*I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion*

To put it simply - this book is fabulous. You are quickly drawn into the travels and life of Isobel Gamble, a Scottish seamstress in the 1800's who goes from her home in Glasgow to Salem, MA. There Isobel settles into the closed minded community as her husband goes to sea. She mets Nathanial Hathorne (original spelling of Hawthorne's name) and a romance begins. She tells her life through her needlework and embroidery. The descriptions of the people, places, life, and her embroidery are so vivid that I could see it all clearly in my mind. The story is told concurrently with flashbacks to her own great-grandmother who was though to be a witch and the Salem witch trials where the judge was a relative of Hathorne (historically true). I can't do the book justice - it is one of those novels that will stay with me for a while.

The Scarlet Letter has long been one of my favorite books. I thoroughly enjoyed this re-imagining of character Hester Prynne. The premise is that Scottish woman Isobel (the woman Hester is based on) has Synesthesia, is a talented needlework artist, and is forced to emigrate to the Americas with her deadbeat husband where she falls in love with Nat Hawthorne. This book was difficult to put down, is very clever, like unraveling a historical mystery, and also speaks to societal ills such as the slave trade. It is highly recommended by this reader! Thank you so much NetGalley for providing this electronic copy. I think high school juniors or seniors could read this book as an enrichment after reading The Scarlet Letter.

Deeply engrossing, lyrical tale of the woman behind Nathaniel Hawthorne's Hester in The Scarlet Letter. Isobel Gamble has an unusual gift: she sees words in colors. Hard to describe in a review, but Laurie Lico Albanese helps you see what Isobel sees. In addition Isobel is a gifted seamstress, who wants so much more than what women are allowed to do. Isobel wants to create patterns, make designs, and she is a gifted artist who could do so. When Isobel's husband Edward decides to go to the colonies to escape his debts, Isobel sees a chance for a new life in Salem Mass. And when he goes off to see, Isobel is left on her own, forcing her to make her own way, discovering what's important to her, and taking her down very different paths.

Beautifully written, Hester takes us inside the minds of Nathaniel Hawthorne and his (possibly) Hester.

I loved this story so much! It was a slow start but once it got growing it was amazing. I've always loved the scarlet letter so this book is perfect for anyone who also loved the scarlet letter.

This book is a wonderful example of how historical fiction should be done. You can tell the author thoroughly researched the time and place, as well as had a love for The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne. This book is a fictional account of the basis for that book. The story moves slowly with lots of description of life in the early 19th century, showing slavery and the Underground Railroad, travel by ship and life in Salem, Massachusetts, the unequal treatment of women, and the Salem witch trials. I enjoyed the author’s writing style which brought the settings and characters to life. Isobel is based on Hester and is a multifaceted character whom I swore at for her weaknesses and cheered for in her awakening strength.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this access to an ARC in return for an honest review.

I think I might be a little obsessed with "vivid reimaginings." As an American literature teacher, my love for the canon runs deep, but I have a real love for Hawthorne, so I was a bit nervous upon reading this book that asks "who is the real Hester Prynne"? Albanese has managed to make Nathaniel Hawthorne hypnotic while also delving into the inner life of a tumultuous time period in America. With gorgeous language, powerful imagery, and a sharp wit, Hester is a book that is an homage as well as entirely its own beautiful work. I found myself loving both the 1800s Scotland parts of the text and then in New Salem, I would be clamoring for more of its sections. LOVED this book and devoured it in a day. It will be making an appearance on my bookshelf in my classroom soon.

Such a beautifully written book that grabbed my interest from the very beginning, providing back story for Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter. This is the story of Isobel, who is Scottish and emigrates with her husband to Salem, Massachusetts, in the 1800s. Isobel comes from a family of strong women - her grandmother Isobel was accused of being a witch in Scotland but escaped, and her story is also told, spaced in between some of the chapters. Isobel is a talented needleworker and she also has synesthesia and sees words and senses as colors. In Salem, she strikes up an unsatisfactory friendship/love affair with Hawthorne. There is more to the this story than that but no spoilers - just a recommendation to read.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Isobel was such a strong character, I was rooting for her from the beginning. The telling was so vivid I could see everything that was happening. Edward Gamble was a character I tried to,lie, but couldn’t. Then when they travelled on the ship with Captain Darling I really enjoyed his character so was drawn to him immediately.

I don’t want to spoil anything, but I have to say this was a mesmerizing read that I couldn’t put down once I started reading!

Hester was based on the real Hester Prynne from the classic The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne. A great work of historical fiction that focuses on those often forgotten in history.

I was a little disappointed that this book didn’t work for me. I know many will love this book, it might be a good fit if you like slower pacing.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for providing me with and advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This is a wonderful, vivid story centered around a young woman and her determination to triumph. I read the synopsis long before starting this book, so I had fully forgotten what the story was about. It surprised me! In my head I was picturing a novel about Hester Prynne, but this story of Isobel was that and so much more.

I think the premise for this novel is so clever — not only is it a reimagining of The Scarlet Letter itself, but also makes use of that story’s author, Nathaniel Hawthorne, as a main character. The story is told from Isobel’s point of view, a young emigrant from Scotland who is struggling to make a life for herself in Salem, Massachusetts. There are a handful of cutaways to the story of Isobel’s ancestor, which are fun enrichments of the witchcraft undercurrent.

There were a few moments in the story where I wanted to shake Isobel and tell her to snap out of it, but I had to remember that she was young, inexperienced, and making decisions appropriate to those aspects of her character. In the end, she grows immensely and has far better judgment, and I found myself proud of her choices and where she ended up!

A very fun read with brilliant imagery and a clever storyline. Hester has a publishing date of October 4, 2022 — definitely check it out if you ever read The Scarlet Letter!

Thank you to Laurie Lico Albanese, St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

I read "The Scarlett Letter" by Nathaniel Hawthorne and "The Crucible" by Arthur Miller in 10th grade and loved them both. They created a life long fascination in me in regards to the early Pilgrim life in Massachusetts. I just recently learned that Nathaniel Hawthorne changed his surname spelling way back when to not be associated with the Hathorne actually involved in the Salem Witch Trials. I greatly recommend this book to anyone who has that same fascination I do. I don't necessarily like all of Isobel's actions and I think the 1600's witch trial of Isobel's ancestor did not really add to the storyline in my opinion. But, overall the writing is fast paced and detailed.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for a chance to read and review.

Hester by Laurie Lico Albanese is a reimagining of The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne. I have fond memories of The Scarlet Letter and was looking forward to reading the reimagined version of a classic favorite.

The prose and creativity throughout Hester constructs the town of Salem during 1800’s. Isobel Gamble experiences synesthesia during a time when it is misunderstood and considered evil. She learns to hide her gift and utilizes her needlework skills to survive in her new home. This is the beginning of the challenges she will face; inequality of women, slavery, The Salem Witch Trials, a loveless marriage, an affair, and unplanned pregnancy, draw you into this beautiful journey towards independence.

This stunning portrayal will not disappoint! Thank you to author Laurie Lico Albanese and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review the advanced reader.