Just a brilliant piece of historical fiction. I was drawn in from the first pages as Albanese brings to life Salem of the 1800s and draws inspiration from The Scarlet Letter. I thought the inclusion of synthenesia was clever and added depth to our characters, while also giving plausible explanation for why some women may have been persecuted as witches during that time - a phenomenon that we still don't have clear answers for today. Not only do we get Isobel's story, her immigration to the US, and her eventual romance with Nathaniel Hawthorne, but we get a glimpse into the horrors of the Salem witch trials and similar trials occurring in Scotland, too.

I love a novel that picks at a man's moment in history and theoretically dives into the women in the background that may have helped to inspire or support them in reality - the women who are often lost to the history books. And Hester does exactly that. Because we all know behind every great man is an even better woman pulling the strings or clearing the deck to make sure their greatness is possible.

Historical Fiction at its finest. Hester was so beautifully and atmospherically written that I felt transported into the story right away. Having read The Scarlet Letter in high school, and now living in New England, I’ve always had an appreciation for Nathanial Hawthorne, and the author’s take on his tale was so much fun. It was a delightful take on the story, and I enjoyed the embroidery aspect of the novel. It brought so much color into the novel, and to learn more about tailoring and clothing shops during that time period was fascinating.

Thank you to Laurie Lico Albanese, NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advance copy of this book.

I received a free copy from NetGalley. Who inspired Nathaniel Hawthorne to write the "Scarlet Letter"? This book tries to set up that back story. I think it would make a good book for book club/class to read with the "Scarlet Letter." Some of it just felt forced, to make it work with what would come later in a different author's book of fiction.

Date made up. I feel behind on my reviews.

4 Stars!

The atmospheric writing in this book truly transported me right into the story, and the writing style was easy to follow. The first half of the book was a little slower, but the second half took off. Were you forced to read The Scarlett Letter in high school? If so, did you enjoy it? I didn't, BUT I loved how Albanese took this story, and gave it an origin that left me wanting more. Hester is an enticing drama with a heroine you can’t help but root for from the beginning.

Albanese has written a captivating and colorful story. The atmospheric writing truly transported me right into Isobel’s life in 19th century Salem along with its dark and haunting history that still plagues the community and threatened her livelihood and even her life.

I also enjoyed reading about Isobel's incredible and colorful sewing skills which involved not just intricate embroidery but making all sorts of clothing for various clients and how to tailor said clothing to hide one’s shape or deformities.

The beginning is fast and then slows down till about the 2/3 mark. After that the story completely took off and had me completely enthralled. I read this with Erin and I’m so glad we took our time reading it and loved how we shared a lot of the same opinions about the characters.

This is both a beautiful and tragic story that brings to life the untold story of the woman who famously went down in literary history wearing THE scarlet letter. If you are someone who loves engrossing historical fiction, then you need to grab this memorable story.

Thank you, St. Martin's Press, for this gifted copy in exchange for my honest review.

I enjoyed this book a lot. It was easy to read and the writing style was written really well, however, my biggest issue was that I felt like (although there was a feminist message to be made) the author kind of fabricated history a little to tell this story & I wasn’t a fan of that.

I loved this book! Such a smart take imagining the backstory of one of my favorite classics. And you don't have to have read The Scarlet Letter to enjoy it. It has great characters, beautiful writing, and a creative story that will hook you from page one. One of my favorites of 2023.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press for the copy to review.

Many thanks to #stmartinspress and @macmillan.audio for the #gifted copies

In all of the analyzation of The Scarlet Letter done in my high school lit class, none of the discussion considered whether Hawthorne might have written it from personal experience.

I think that’s why Albanese’s premise for Hester, where Hawthorne himself takes on the role of Dimmesdale, is so utterly intriguing.

Yet.

Labeled a feminist reimaging, I had high hopes for a female protagonist fighting against the patriarchal society. Someone bold. Someone determined and strong.

Instead, Isobel came across as whiny and stunted. While talented and skillful, her success was largely based on other’s kindness. The cycle of fear and poor judgment inhibited Isobel from crafting a future. Rather than rescuing herself, she was continually saved by others.

In contrast, it was her talent that created the most engaging plotline. The usage of embroidery as a vehicle for self-discovery was exceptionally executed. Deeply symbolic, Hester’s sewing allowed her to embrace the past (familial and self) while moving towards a different future. I could almost envision the stitches as she laid bare her soul into the fabric.

Too important not to mention:
-Artistic license is expected in fiction. However, revisioning an historic figure in a way that vilifies without factual basis feels cringeworthy.
-Equating the experience of immigrants (particularly Scottish) and black enslaved is not only historically inaccurate but also highly problematic.

The usage of synesthesia as explanation of the mystifying felt unique and fresh. However, I couldn’t quite flesh out whether the author leaned in to the magical (seen in side characters) or on explainable quirks.

In spite of these criticisms, I was fully entertained by the story. And I wonder if that was largely due to the fabulous discussion I had with buddies @thats.one.for.the.books and @itslizreading

The audiobook was beautifully narrated by Saskia Maarleveld. And I found that I preferred it, with Maarleveld’s Scottish lilt, to the print version.

I gave this 3.5 stars. While it was an interesting story, the back and forth between current times and the stories of the other women was a bit confusing, especially because those stories were not in chronological order it felt like. It also dragged a bit for me why I only gave it 3.5 stars,

I did like the tie in at the end of the book, that the story was what created The Scarlet Letter.

I sadly was unable to finish this book because I struggled so much to connect to the story, characters, and kept putting this down. I was extremely disinterested in all content and tried this in ebook and audio but had to officially DNF it.

This book was so beautifully written and pulled me in right from the beginning. Even the author's note about Isabel's synesthesia intrigued me.
I loved the embroidery aspect of the book and Isabel's colors. Embroidery is one of my very favorite things to do and the whole time reading it my hands were almost tingling with the urge to stitch. I did end up working on a project between chapters.
Getting "Hester's" version of the story was very nice. Her connection to Scottish witches and Hawthorne's ancestry linked to the Salem Witch trials was an interesting take on the story.
I loved the beautifully atmospheric storytelling of Hester. It was such an amazing journey all the way through.

I voluntarily read and reviewed a copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

When I first started to read this book I didn't know why the name as the character's name wasn't Hester until the last page of the book when the author explained why the title.

Hester is a book full of magic, a beautiful young lady who sees colors and is afraid to say anything because of her family history, she comes from a magical family who was always rejected and even hunted because of their special nature, Isobel was a young seamstress who had to move to another country, America seeking appreciation, and even acceptance, among the new neighbors, she heard people in America will welcome her and not ask questions about her past and family history but that was not the case.

Isobel was welcome with many questions and even rejected by people who didn't want to befriend or even talk to her they treated her always as a foreigner and plus even made her feel like an outcast, sad about this she also didn't expect her husband to change and become someone so different and even distant, her husband betrays her and stole everything she had saved and brought from the old country pushing her to start to work for a woman who was very harsh with her, she did not want to pay the right price for anything Isobel to sew, lying to her costumers saying it was another person who did this magnificent cloths and gloves so Isobel will not "steal" her costumers.

Isobel was tired of all these people gossiping, hiding agendas, and treating her like her work was nothing, she finally decided it was time to move on after his husband betrays her and the "new love " she felt for another, who at the end was only a burden to carry but somehow brought some happiness and magic to Isobel life again.

Isobel was a great character at the beginning she was very naive and people were taking advantage of her over and over again but I love how the writer made us feel with each chapter the growth and evolution of Isobel making her a great heroine who at the end got what she wanted and she really deserved.

One of my favorite characters was the Captian as he was the only one who really was kind and loving in this book to Isobel.

My favorite object was the Red Cape Isobel was sewing, as it contains so many stories and beautiful memories that brought the story to life, the story of Isobel, her family, and her ancestors.

This was a great book I really love the fantastic magic way blended with witches' tales and old witch hunts, I'm glad I was able to get this great story.

Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the advanced copy of HESTER in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to @netgalley and @Stmartinspress for a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Thank you to @macmillian.audio for a free download of the audiobook.

Hester is a story with an intricate ploy and strong characters. It tells the story of a woman as she navigates life, building her independence and learning to embrace her gifts. I was unsure of this book at first, but the characters were complex and mystifying. I needed to know what happened in the relationships between characters as Hester wove her magic into all the beautiful dresses and gloves she made.

If you love character driven books, you will enjoy this!

4 stars

#books #bookishlife #booklover #readingisfun #iowabookstagrammers #iowabookstagram #netgalley #stmartinspress #macmillianaudio #ltbreaderteam #hester #laurielicoalbanese #smpinfluencers

found this book really interesting and was always surprised and impressed with the turns that Isobel’s life took. I also was relieved by the ending. Definitely would recommend if you like historicals with a hint of magic and mystery.

I was thoroughly impressed with the intricate plot and strong character development in Hester. The story follows the titular character, Hester, as she navigates the challenges of life in the late 1800s and learns to embrace her own independence and strength.

Lico Albanese's writing style is engaging and descriptive, pulling the reader into Hester's world and making it easy to feel invested in her journey. The historical context is well-researched and adds depth to the story.

One of the standout aspects of "Hester" is the complexity of the characters. Hester is a fully realized, multidimensional protagonist, and the supporting characters are equally well-crafted. The relationships between the characters are realistic and dynamic, making for a rich and satisfying reading experience.

Overall, "Hester" is a captivating and well-written novel that I highly recommend. It earns a solid four stars from me.

I loved this book so much, I purchased a physical copy of it and have gifted it to several friends who have loved it as well. It is an ingenious telling of well-known characters and stories we have all heard from history in a fresh and imaginative way. I cannot recommend it enough as you are sure to appreciate it and not be sorry that you have read it!

I normally do not read this era of history but this was definitely an enjoyable read. An interesting story about possible inspiration behind an American classic. It made me want to read Scarlet Letter so that I could identify all the references that were made in this book.

I received a copy of this book through Netgalley. This is my honest review.

If it's not obvious to you by the title, this is a Scarlet Letter retelling. I've read The Scarlet Letter twice in my life. The first time I really enjoyed it. The second time, not so much, but in the book's defense that likely had more to do with the fact that the second reading was for class and I was being told how fast to read it. In spite of that unpleasant second read, I was really excited to dive into this book based on the title alone (because I pretty much never read the book synopsis myself).

One of the things I liked about this book is how it showed the ways neurodivergence was very likely treated hundreds of years ago. Things that we at least sort of understand today, and I think I actually finally grasp how synesthesia works from being in Isobel's shoes for this story, could be terrifying back then. At first I thought Isobel's mother's reaction was severe, considering the fact that she was just a child stitching in pretty colors, but as the story progressed, my opinion started to shift.

There were several times this book straight up pissed me off. I'm talking looking like a lunatic because I'm yelling at people who don't exist angry. Existing as a woman must have been so infuriating back then. I honestly wonder why women didn't rise up sooner for more rights. I am glad I don't face those levels of injustice simply because I was born with a vagina.

I was absolutely sucked into this story wanting all the good things for Isobel. My heart soared every time something good happened for her, and I seethed every time she was taken advantage of. I'm not sure when the last time I felt that invested in a character was.

Because we are so close to the end of the year and I've read so few novels, I can pretty confidently say that this is my favorite book I read in 2022. Overall I give it 4.9 out of 5 stars.

I didn't really care for the Scarlet Letter when I read it as a junior in high school. But I was really to give this one a try. And I'm glad I did. As this one was about the woman in Hawthorne's life who helped inspired the Scarlet Letter. While I didn't love this one I did enjoy reading this.

I had this book in both print and audio but I had a preference for the print. The writing is so beautiful and I enjoyed lingering over passages. The author did an excellent job of painting a clear picture, I could almost see the fabrics and textiles.

I have such fond memories of reading The Scarlet Letter, I'm always fearful retellings won't do the original justice. This, however, shares such an interesting perspective in a beautiful way.

Hester by Laurie Lico Albanese is a remarkably interesting story about Nathaniel Hawthorne and the possible roots of his most famous books. This book is set in a fascinating time in history and really does a great job at highlighting women of the time as well as the significant historical events of the time. It is a really interesting, well written book. I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher with no obligations. These opinions are entirely my own.