This one was a little slow going for me, I had trouble staying focused on the story and as I was listening to the audiobook I found myself having to go back to relisten to parts quite a bit. I may have done better with a physical copy, but I didn't receive one to review. The premise is interesting and the historical details seem to be on point. I was fascinated with The Scarlet Letter when we read it in school so I was excited to read this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the book’s publisher, St. Martin Press, for an advanced audio copy. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. I’m very grateful for this audiobook. I thoroughly loved the author’s writing style and the story. I highly recommend this book!

It's a story of Isabel Gamble, a Scottish seamstress, who arrives newly married with her husband, Edward, in Salem. Edward had his vices and was not kind to his wife. After he left her penniless so he could venture on a ship as a medic, Isabel uses her talents with the needle to survive. The book does a great job developing the characters. Isabel has a relationship with Nathaniel Hawthorne (author of The Scarlet Letter), and the reader gains insight into the Hawthorne family. Isabel is blessed with visions of colors, which has much symbolism.

The book got my attention right from the start. I especially enjoyed the audiobook with the different inflections in tone. I'd recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical fiction, witchcraft, symbolism, slavery or just an interesting book.

Hester was an enjoyable listen. I loved the way it moved between different time periods. It was a bit longwinded in parts, but overall well done.

Hester was a really interesting piece of historical fiction, with a unique storyline; retelling the life of a famous novelist while he was drafting his most famous book.....I did enjoy it, especially the lyrical prose; which I believe was the highlight of the novel, the writer is truly gifted. I thought the plot was a bit weak, but the writing made up for the weaknesses.

I loved this retelling of the Scarlet Letter! Told from Hester’s perspective, we hear a richer and more full picture of the story we have all come to know. We are rich female friendship, matriarchal history, and a vivid visual of the town of Salem.

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.

An excellent audiobook! I have restarted the story a few times and finally settling down with a slower speed than the default speed due to the accented narrator. The narrator did well nonetheless and I liked listening to the deep Scottish accent. I liked the story though it was more sad than happy and more slow burn than I normally preferred. The witch trials actually irritated me of how men give themselves the power to decide and torture. I felt sad for the little girl among the accused. It's no easy task being kids in the 1800s. As they're still growing up, they were pushed into the labor force. I liked Isobel, the main character. She knew what she's good at and depended her life on it. She always worked hard.

This story followed Isobel through different ages as she grew up. At 8, her mom passed away. At 15, she got married to obtain a bit of freedom. At 19, her husband's business failed and they both sailed to America seeking a better life. In Salem, she heard people spoke of witches. It's something she wanted to escape when leaving home in Scotland. She's been living her life with a secret. Her grandmother had the same secret and her life wasn't easy. In America, her husband decided to go to sea again because he had ambitions. Isobel was left to fend for herself. She utilized her skills as a seamstress to survive. As a foreigner, life wasn't easy. In this new land, Isobel found love and friendship. The love she had was mostly forbidden. This story was told of the past and the present, but the present was still long ago, not today. The other view was of the past. It covered women and children who were accused of being a witch and the witch trails. The ending was good and unexpected. I haven't read The Scarlet Letter yet but hope to soon. This book is a retelling of it.

Thank you Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to listen and 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

Hester is a retelling of the Scarlet Letter. As a fan of the Scarlet Letter, I was excited to read the retelling. However, it was very hard getting into the novel. Not only did very little happen in the story, but I did not feel sympathy for the main character. Isobel comes off as distant, dishonest, selfish, and cold. Therefore, I felt that she deserved whatever bad came her way. I also did not like the graphic scenes in this book and it felt unnecessary. Thus, Hester is a forgettable retelling to a beloved classic. However, the narrator gives a wonderful performance and tried her best to make the novel alive. However, the story just fell apart.

This started strong for me and then I just lost interest. At some point the pacing got weird and it lost me. On paper, this would be my perfect read but in actuality, it was half grand and half bleh.

HESTER was an incredible story, from start to finish, and the more that I think about it, the more I love it even more. Hester 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.

*many thanks to Macmillan Audio for the gifted copy for review

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.

I loved this expertly told historical fiction that centered around the potential muse of Nathaniel Hawthorne and his Classic The Scarlet Letter. Vividly woven with gorgeous imagery, this story contains many things I love—a strong female protagonist, a community of complex women some supportive and others less so, love, sex, lust, revenge and a sprinkle of thrill! Enjoyed the exceptional narration of the audiobook as well.

*received for free from netgalley for honest review* Always like historical fiction and this as really great! would love to own and reread

The audio version of this book enhanced my experience as the story is told by Isobel, the main character in her Scottish accent. The author weaves a beautiful story with Isobels ability to see life and especially her embroidery with color. This magical ability adds the element of witchcraft to this time period in Salem Massachusetts in the 1800's.
A love story with so many historical elements makes it hard to put down.

Such an original story. Hester by Laurie Lico Albanese is the story of a young woman, Isobel Gamble who is married to a man addicted to opium and has made a mess of their life is Scotland. They are forced to head to the new world, on arrival Edward shows her true colors again and leaves on another ship. He has taken, her little bit of savings and she is now stuck in Salem. Salem doesn’t like newcomers. They like to remember everyone’s sins and failures. They don’t want to have to learn about someone new. It is clear that Isobel is going to have to find work and find it quickly. She is a proficient seamstress and will try to find work doing that. She secures a job, makes a friend and encounters a young Nathaniel Hawthorne. They have an instant connection and they find muses with each other. As time passes on it seems more unlikely that a Edward will come back and a new relationship between Isobel and Nathaniel starts.
But does she really need this distraction? Her work is getting noticed and her employer isn’t paying her fairly and taking credit for her work. She knows she can make more money but how? Should she cross her employer? This story is wonderfully written. The story itself is original and I believe the author did a terrific job weaving the timelines and the behavior of the people of Salem, with her fictional work.
I really enjoyed listening to this one and I couldn’t put it down. I want to thank Netgalley, MacMillan Audio & the author for my copy for an honest review. It was an absolute pleasure listening & reviewing it. Once again Saskia Maarleved did an excellent job narrating. I am such a history buff and this book was just excellent.. this was a 5 star listen for me. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Amazing narrator. This one was a DNF for me. I will not be posting a review of it but thank you for sending I think people would like this one it just wasn't for me. Thank you again for the copy.

I found the beginning of the story to be very slow. I actually wanted to put it down several times. Near the end though, I really liked it. I loved hearing the story behind the story of The Scarlet Letter. It wasn't until the end that I really saw how it all came together. However, because I didn't see it earlier in the story, it left me feeling bored and like it wasn't a good retelling. I see now that it wasn't exactly meant to be a retelling.

I cannot summarize how much I do not care about this book. I hit chapter 11, Not even 50% through this book and I feel like I've been listening for DAYS. I'm exhausted, I don't care, I have no energy to go on.

I loved this book and audio! The cover is also beautiful. The literary ties and witchy vibes were absolutely perfect. One of my favorites of the year