Hester is a story based in the reimagining of the woman who inspired Hester Prynne from Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter. In fact, Nathanial Hawthorne, himself is a key character in this novel by Laurie Lico Albanese. It centers around our heroine, Isobel, a Scottish seamstress who sails to the New World from Scotland in the 1800s.
This was a well written and well narrated story that, true to it's description, was both sensuous, and hypnotizing.

Happy Publishing Day!
Hester follows Isobel Gamble, a young Scottish seamstress who has the ability to see colors. Her unique ability fuels her creativity and passions as she navigates her life, her marriage, her budding love with the enigmatic Nathaniel Hawthorne, and the real meaning of freedom in early 19th century America.
Hester is utterly cozy and compelling, the perfect autumnal read. I loved this reimagining of one of my favorite literary heroines, Hester Prynne. The story has stayed with me for days now, One could say I’m bewitched *bad Salem witchy joke, sorry*.

The audiobook is a dream to listen to. The Scottish lilt of the narrator really added to the magic of the book.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

HESTER is an imaginative retelling of the classic The Scarlet Letter, which I read in high school and admittedly didn’t love. The story is told in dual timelines between Scotland and Salem and while I enjoyed both, I enjoyed the Salem Witch Trial timeline a bit more.

I believe I’m in the minority, but the pacing felt a bit slow to me. I read this in the midst of newborn baby haze and I was craving a story with a bit more narrative drive. The most interesting aspects of the story for me were the Underground Railroad and synesthesia.

Overall, I appreciated the way Laurie Lico Albanese raised timely questions about what it means to live in America. Saskia Maarleved’s narration of the audiobook was absolutely stunning, as usual. While this wasn’t the right book for me at the time, I think historical fiction lovers will be satisfied.

RATING: 3.5 (rounded up to 4 stars)
PUB DATE: October 4

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan audio for an electronic ARC in exchange for an honest review.

"Do you love me from afar when you are right next to me?"

The connection between writer Nathaniel Hawthorne and married seamstress Isobel Gamble is immediate when they see each other for the first time and so is my love for the haunting descriptive prose in Hester by the mesmerizing brilliance of author Laurie Lico Albanese.

The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne was ahead of his time writing a story about adultery and how the woman, Hester Prynne, was made to be unmercifully ridiculed wearing a red A for everyone to know her crime and shame. The man, well, I don't even remember his name. What made Hawthorne write such a controversial story? In Hester we are introduced to Isobel who may have been the writer's muse for his most iconic story.

I expected forbidden love; what I wasn't expecting was a story about The Salem Witch Trials, Hawthorne's and Isobel's ancestral connection to them, the beginnings of the Under Ground Railroad, the prejudices of the New World that has Isobel commenting, "...but this is the New World, isn't everyone new here?"

Why Hester wears the sewn red letter A for her supposed sin and its connection to Isobel left me gasping and in awe of this author's vivid meticulous imagination.

One of my favorite narrators, Saskia Maarleveld, was on point with all the different accents but her portrayal of Isobel's pain, abandonment, and surprise of falling in love was poignantly honest.

Listening and reading this story I experienced a writer masterfully bring colors and words to life. I felt this story with all my heart. The Scarlet Letter is a classic and Hester is a masterpiece of literary historical fiction.

I received a free copy of this book audiobook from the publishers via #netgalley for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

I rather enjoyed this book! The story was well done and although not a hard and fast page turner, it was a story that kept me wanting more.

Hester is such a unique and cleverly-crafted story. After her young marriage hit some incredibly rough spots, Scottish teenager Isobel Gamble and her husband leave Scotland in disgrace in 1829 and begin a journey to Salem, Massachusetts. Landing in the epicenter of the American witch hunts, Isobel, whose own family story involves hushed stories of witch craft, is naturally weary of those she meets in the new world. Even more so because she is hiding her own deep secret, something she is conflicted about because although she sees it as a beautiful blessing, she has been taught time and again that it is only a curse.

Moments after disembarking the ship, Isobel crosses paths with a man she comes to know as Nat - a young Nathaniel Hawthorne. Isobel is never the same - nor is American literature. 

Apart from being a great story about women who don’t fit the mold, Hester ultimately highlights the hidden society of (mostly) women who support each other out of the gaze of society. Although Isobel is cast out by society women as an adulteress, there are countless other women - and men, too - who show up to support her in their own ways during her lowest moments.

The Hester Prynne we were taught in school (at least in my educational experience) served more as a warning than anything. Maybe it wasn't explicit, but she was the warning of what happens to those who eschew social norms. More importantly, she was a subtle - or maybe not so subtle - symbol of the patriarchy (not that I knew what that meant in 11th grade!). Perhaps if I read the book again today i'd be able to pick out different messages and see the feminism in the story - but that's not what was focused on in 1999 in a class we all dubbed Dead White Men's literature and taught by an old white dude. Laurie Lico Albanese's imagining of Hester's origin story makes sure to explicitly bring these qualities to the forefront of the Isobels' stories.

Although today we medically understand synesthesia - Isobel’s gift/curse - there are plenty of “othernesses” that are used against women every day, all over the world, especially those who do not conform to their society's expectations for what a good woman looks and acts like. No matter where in time or geography, a normal and good woman with a strange trait or mannerism can very easily go from acceptable member of society to existential threat in the blink of an eye. 

As an aside, if you like the Outlander series, I think you’ll really enjoy this book!

If you’re more of an audiobook person, the audiobook version of Hester is great! I’m still new to the world of audiobooks but I thought this was well done. I enjoyed the narrator’s voice and presentation of the story. My only critique is that the men’s voices seemed to lack intonation and their characters all felt rather flat as a result.

Thank you to the publishers, author and NetGalley for the free copy of this audio book.

This was definitely a slow build but with some beautiful writing. It eventually hooked me though and overall I did enjoy it. The narrator had a lovely voice.

Classics may not be for everybody, but HESTER definitely breathes some much needed life into the woman who inspired Hester Prynne. This book took a minute to get into for me, but once things get rolling I was hooked. I highlighted a ton of quotes from this one. I really loved how this book centers women and POC as opposed to Hawthorne himself. The juxtaposition between Isobel and “Nat” really illustrates the shortcomings of privileged white men in a society dominated by patriarchy, and the strength that women had to draw upon to overcome the obstacles society threw at them, a testament to the many women who encapsulated the spirit of Hester Prynne. And the way that Albanese weaves historical themes and entities such as The Underground Railroad, 1820s Massachusetts and the Witch Trials of the 17th century was very well done.

“…love between an unformed girl held captive by her secrets and a haunted man held captive by his ghosts.”

Hester is a feminist reimagining of Hawthorne’s “The Scarlet Letter” that delves into the adulterous romance between a strong Scottish female lead (Isobel Gamble) and Nathaniel Hawthorne himself, both of whom have ancestors with ties to the witch hunts (as the accused and accusors) in Salem and in Scotland. Isobel has synesthesia and experiences life in colors, which makes her different at a time where it isn’t safe to be different. She is a talented needleworker and has a fierce strength and independence that makes her a survivor and one who looks out for others in the judgmental, Puritanical world of Salem. It is a story of strength, and how what we carry from our ancestors can be a burden or a power.

I loved the premise and was intrigued with the imaginative retelling through the first third of the book, but the story was a bit slow for me then quickly tied up in the end and covered too many topics. It was a good seasonal read. I recommend listening to the audiobook as the narrator has a fabulous Scottish brogue.

“Trust the needle.”

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC

I had both the text and audiobook versions of this book and I both read and listened to it. While I am certainly familiar with the storyline, I never actually read the original novel that this one is based around, but I could still appreciate what the author did here. I especially enjoyed the author's notes at the end that explained the research that went into this and how this work of fiction could potentially be close to the truth. Further, I don't know how the original novel dealt with slavery, but I liked how this book not only acknowledged it as an additional dark part of the time period, but also highlighted early Underground Railroad operations. I also appreciate the timing of this novel, as The Scarlet Letter was an early "banned book" and we are now somehow in a new era of banning books. As I write this on the eve of its release, I know this book is getting a lot of pre-release and I definitely think it lives up to its hype. I enjoyed the narrator and thought this was a solid, albeit no frills, audiobook.

The narrator on this MADE the book for me. I think without her accent, it could have fallen a little flat. That being said, I think there should have been more differentiation between “current day” and the flashbacks to the ancestress and witch trials; if I wasn’t paying attention, it became confusing quickly.

Isobel is a seamstress married to a man with an opium problem in the early 1800s. When her husband leaves her in Salem alone to go on a voyage to try and repay some of his debts, Isobel believes she will never see him again. She has a condition called synesthesia, which allows her to see colours attached to letters. In an era post-witch trials, she must do her best to fly under the radar.

I loved the time period and setting in this one. Anything to do with the witch trials always fascinates me. And as a bonus, it ties into one of my fave classics - The Scarlet Letter. It incorporated Nathaniel Hawthorne as a character very seamlessly. Edward was also totally detestable and I loved the cast of supporting characters who either hindered or supported Isobel. The narration in the audiobook was superb.

Positively fabulous. Hester is a spellbinding story that transcends time and instantly pulls the reader in. I particularly loved the ancestral references and hidden details that lurk within every chapter. A wonderful read to pick up for October if you're looking for something "witchy" without any violence or horror.

This was an interesting story and i can appreciate the feminist aspects but i had a hard time staying invested. There wasn’t much light to it and i wanted more about the witch trials.

I thought this was an absolutely beautiful book. Interesting, clever, well researched, but most importantly with any work of historical fiction-- not bogged down in the details, but rather a fresh telling of a story with *some familiar elements, that stands on its own as a delight and escape for the reader.
What - or who- truly inspired Nathaniel Hawthorne's THE SCARLET LETTER? In Laurie Lico Albanese's imagination, it was a love affair with a Scottish needleworker named Isobel, who emigrated to Salem from Scotland after her husband had run into trouble with the law. Battling sexism, oppression, bias against "new Americans" - Isobel runs into endless obstacles as she works to make her new life and feel less alone. Albanese's exploration of Isobel (and her ancestors who were vilified as witches) and her magical gift of seeing words in color (A, is red for example) is such a creative exploration of psychological and medical phenomena that in another time could result in life-ending condemnation that costs everything.
Great writing, great narration. Perfect for fans of Kristen Harmel.

Thanks to Macmillan audio for the copy of this ALC.

In a unique take on a retelling of The Scarlet Letter, Laurie Lico Albanese successfully allows us to revisit the pages of Nathanial Hawthorne's novel by taking us into the suggested enchanted inspiration of the story. Isobel, a Scottish woman forced to come to America due to her apothecary husband's love of opium, is quickly abandoned by him as he takes all of their savings and boards a ship as a medic. Left behind, Isobel and Nathaniel develop feelings and our Scarlet Letter backstory begins.

I really appreciated all of the layers in this book - the retelling, synesthesia, embroidery, the Underground Railroad, and what it took to be considered a person in America in the early 19th century. The dual timeline between Scotland and Salem was really well done, as was the intertwining of Salem witch trials, having a child out of adultery, and the Underground railroad. This one is absolutely perfect for historical fiction lovers.

I mean the fact that the most frequently read feminist text in the American school system is probably the Scarlett Letter, a retelling written by a woman was overdue. That being said, I wanted Hester to resonate with me more and not leave a feeling that was just a leaden sense of melancholy. This is a book about female suffering, told from the perspective of the fictional woman who inspired the real Nathaniel Hawthorne’s classic text. Which is where I think I went into this with the wrong expectations - I wanted a sense of empowerment but was mostly just left with this defeatist feeling of gloom.

I think what was most jarring to me is the insertion of Nathaniel Hawthorne himself into the narrative. It wouldn’t take much more than a thorough read of the synopsis to forewarn of his appearance but somehow when he did finally pop up in the novel I was totally taken aback. It’s giving “fanfiction author writing a celebrity into their OC fanfic” energy in the weirdest way. And while he was clearly portrayed as a manipulative, self-absorbed “artiste” I can’t say I enjoyed watching the slow spiral of his relationship with Hester as she fell for him. Not that it's meant to be enjoyable… but I moreso went into this wanting the gaslight, gatekeep, girlboss aspect of this to be a little more on Hester’s part. Not Nathaniel’s.

Overall, someone going into this book very much just wanting a speculative take on who really inspired Hawethorne’s Scarlett Letter and no expectations beyond that could be satisfied. However, Hester left me feeling the same way about it as the original text I had to write an essay on in ninth grade - frustrated, tired, and convinced I’ll never revisit the story again.

Thank you to the publisher Macmillan Audio for providing an audiobook ARC via NetGalley for an honest review.

“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, 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.”

I’m having a hard time with this review, as I hardly know where to start.

The gorgeous writing? Generally, when someone describes prose as ‘lyrical’, they likely mean the author needs to step away from their Thesaurus, but not this book. This book was BEAUTIFULLY written.

The twining of racism and sexism? Obviously, I’ve always considered the persecution of ‘witches’ through the lens of feminism (Patriarchy’s the worst, amirite?), but I’d never paralleled the intersectionality (can intersectionality parallel? No matter.) between witches and slaves.

Guys, I LOVED this book.

I loved the cover.

I loved all the crafty talk.

I loved the descriptions of both Scotland and America.

I loved the relationships between the women, both good and bad.

I loved that Isobel was Hawthorne’s Scarlet Letter muse.

I HATED Hawthorne.

Ahem.

I wish I had a physical copy of this book, just so I could highlight some of my favourite bits, because guys, this book is QUOTABLE.

“Why do men bind themselves to flags and nations, and women bind themselves to love?”

“It’s not that we are witches or fairies, or that we deny god. It’s that we are more beautiful together than apart.”

“As long as men are cruel and greedy, there will be refugees from other worlds – children running for freedom – Folks that need help.”

For the love. ADD. TO. CART.

9.5/10

Thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Macmillan Audio for this haunting ARC.

This is one of my most anticipated reads of the year and honestly this book did not disappoint. I read and listened along together to this book with the audio addition as well as the physical book. This book is about Lisobel Gamble and Nathaniel Hathorne, later in the book when he publishes The Scarlett Letter he adds the w to his name.

“History isn’t what’s written or told. History is hidden away in dark corners and shadows.”

This book is a dual timeline between Scotland starting in 1662 when Isobel Gowdie, the Isobel in the story is in her linkage line, is on trial for being a witch. And Salem, Mass 1829 where Lisobel and Nathaniel meet. In Salem Lisobel is trying to make a living with her needlework while her husband is sailing around the world in hopes of finding new cures he can sell in his apothecary. Nathaniel has graduated recently from college and is trying to to become a writer but is troubled by his families troubled past and his ancestors part in the Salem witch trials.

The book was such an interesting read. Growing up i always thought that somehow the puritans just “made it work: and created a home in the New World. But they used slaves, bartered and traded with other countries and it wasn’t all rainbows and sunshine. This book showcases not only the power of women and how we have to harness it and use it but also the fight against evil.

This book is a must read. I grew up loving the book The Scarlett Letter and so this was one I was dying to read but let me just say it exceeded my expectations. Run do not walk and get this book.

The reimagining of the story of Hester Prynne of Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter. This story of Isobel Gamble from Scotland has a gift of seeing colors and meanings in the colors, and designs these colors in her drawings and stitch work. She marries a man named Edward and they set sail for America, landing in Salem, Massachusetts. However, Edward leaves Isobel there to fend for herself, and sets sail on the same ship that brought them to America. . She begins her work as a seamstress in Salem, and meets a young aspiring writer, Nathaniel Hawthorne. Isobel becomes the muse to "Nate's" Hester. Isobel struggles to find true love in this story. She says the color green means happiness and home. Will she find what her heart truly seeks? The backdrop of the story reveals some of the Salem witch trials from the past, as well as the underground railroad freeing former slaves at that time. My thanks to Net Galley for this audiobook.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the advanced audio copy of Hester by Laurie Lico Albanese.

“What if the heroine of The Scarlet Letter told her own story?” I knew I needed to read this book. And the audiobook did not disappoint. Saskia Maarleveld did a wonderful job giving life to Isobel Gamble, down to her Scottish accent.

“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.”

I really enjoyed this book. It was written in such a way that it feels like it has been around for as long as The Scarlet Letter. It feels historically accurate, well researched, and dives into both Scotland in the 1600’s and Salem in the 1800’s. It doesn’t take place in the modern world or read like a modern book. Which adds to the mystery, depth, and details of the characters.

I love historical fiction, enjoyed the reimagined spin on a classic book, and definitely recommend this book. If it sounds interesting to you too, add it to your TBR!