How I wish Hester had been my required high school reading instead of The Scarlet Letter! Hester is told from Isobel’s point of view, who seems to be the inspiration for Nathanial Hawthorne’s Hester Prynne. Isobel is left alone and penniless in Salem with little more than her seamstress skills and determination to survive on. There are witchy elements and themes of race and religion that were prevalent in the 1800’s as well as today. A great historical fiction read for the fall.

I enjoyed the book, but as always Saskia Maarleveld’s narration takes it to an even higher level.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the early preview of this book.

As a fan of Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter, I was intrigued by the concept of this book: the story of the woman who "inspired" the story. And this book did not disappoint. I listened to the audiobook, and I thought that the narrator did a really good job of pulling me in as a istener. Getting into Isobel's mind and following her made me really root for her.

The book did a really good job of having the same atmosphere and vibes of The Scarlet Letter and Puritan New England despite being written in much more recent times. It felt like it could have been written side by side with The Scarlet Letter, which isn't always the case with historical fiction novels and is something that I really liked and admired about this author and this book.

While it took a little bit for me to fully get into this book, once I got over the first quarter of it, I was hooked. I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes the Scarlet Letter or is a fan of historical American fiction in general.

Wow, I simply loved this book. The audiobook was well done, and I was immediately pulled into the story. Now I want to read The Scarlet Letter. The author did an amazing job creating a spin on a classic. Highly recommend reading!

What an amazing story. This is the perfect fall read, set in Salem in the 1800s and topics of witches, curses and spell are at the front of everyone’s mind.
This story is about the woman who “inspired” Nathaniel Hawthorn’s novel, The Scarlet Letter.
Isabel came to America from Scotland because of her devious husband. Through many circumstances, she is left alone to fend for herself in Salem and falls in love with Nate.

This is a hopeful story and reminds you that magic can be found inside all of us within our day to day tasks. Isabel has a special talent with needle work and she has a unique gift of seeing colors within words. This was a beautifully creative story and I loved the artistic nature of the main character.

Sort banks to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the audio ARC.

I really liked this book. The narrator was great and I'm finding I enjoy audio a lot. I used to think I wouldn't be able to follow if I didn't see the words.

Isobel ,, who has Synesthesia, which is quite a gift. When she hears sounds and sees people she envisions them as colors. Her mother, who is dying, always told Isobel to hide her talent as it can be seen as a curse, or because she has this condition, she will be seen as a witch. After all, two of her aunts were part of the Salem witch trials for their abilities. Isobel was named after her aunt Isobel Growdie, Queen of the Witches, and part of the Salem Witch Trials. Another aunt was thrown in an insane asylum, so she keeps her head low and her talent hidden. Isobel marries and leaves Edinburgh under mitigating circumstances with her doctor husband Edward,, who is addicted to opium,and they set sail to the United States., where he abandons her. She knows practically nothing of the United States but she is smart a d talented. Did I mention they sailed to Salem, MA?

When Edward doesn't seem to be coming back, Isobel meets Nathaniel Hawthorne and since this story takes place in the 1800's., he has yet to write The Scarlet Letter.. She is young at 19 years of age, and Nathaniel is in his early mid twenties. They are instantly attracted to one another but we learn they have ties to one another. His ancestors were part of the Salem Witch Trials. and she becomes a muse for his book that is published later? And what does this mean for her relationship with Nathaniel Hawthorne?

Will Isobel becomes tenacious in finding other powerful people here and she has to make a decision. Should she live in the horror of her past or use her colors as a way to forge forward into a happy life?

What a wonderful book. I would recommend this book highly to anyone and if you get it in audio, even better! 5 stars!

Isobel is afflicted with Synesthesia, but it's the 19th Century and witchcraft is believed to be real. Married to an opium addicted apothecary named Edward, the couple is on the brink of destitute when they're rescued by Isobel's father and board a boat from Scotland to America with the hopes of a fresh start. After landing in Salem, Massachusetts Isobel comes face to face with her family's history in this hauntingly beautiful story reimagined from Hester Prynne's The Scarlet Letter.

I am an arduous lover of The Scarlet Letter so I was very excited to read Hester. It took me a beat to get into the flow of the story but once I did I quickly became consumed by the characters and story line. I enjoyed the ebb and flow of the pacing along with the references to the Salem witch trials and slavery. The author did an amazing job at weaving Nathanial Hawthorne's character without it feeling heavy handed. Overall great read, definitely recommend it.

Isobel sees colors but hides the gift so not to be accused of witchcraft like her grandmother. Her marriage isn't what she expects and when they travel to Salem her husband immediately set off to sea leaving her alone with no resources. Isobel meets Nathaniel Hawthorne and they are drawn together. As Isobel builds her life in Salem will her gift and her attraction to Nathaniel save her or destroy her?

The narrator brings listener's into Isobel's world.

I savored every second of this eerie and captivating novel. This book holds so much history, including Witch Trials and Slavery, and I found myself invested in every diminutive, yet powerful detail. Brilliant writing and storytelling.

Incredible narrator.

Isobel Gamble migrated to America with her apothecary husband. He leaves to work on a ship but addicted to opium, he doesn’t return from his journey. Isobel is talented with sewing and tries to make her own way in this new world. She has always seen vivid colors in her work, something her mother before her tried to help her get a handle on. When she meets the enchanting Nathaniel Hawthorne, she finds herself drawn to him.

Like many people, I read The Scarlet Letter in high school. And to be honest - I didn’t love it. Maybe it was because I was told to read it, or I just couldn’t fathom a time when people treated women this way. But when I saw “Hester” coming out, I was interested in seeing what it was about. What it is, essentially, is a “story behind the story”. Seeing a young and troubled Nathaniel Hawthorne find the inspiration for Hester Prynne was an interesting take. Although I didn’t always love the way he acted, it was cool to read this spin on things. Factor in witches and Salem and I’m sold - I am always fascinated to read about that time in history. Since I listened to this, I just adored the narrator’s beautiful Scottish accent also ❤️

How is it that we were taught to fear the witches and not those who burned them?

Thank you to Netgalley, Macmillan Audio and Laurie Lico Albanesr for the ALC! Hester” will be released on October 4th!

This review will be shared to my Instagram blog (@books_by_the_bottle) shortly.

This book took me a loooong time to get into. I loved the uniqueness of the “retelling” I’d say at no point while listening did I feel happiness - this book is very much a mood read and I sadly wasn’t in a Scarlett Letter mood.

To put it simply, I adored this.

Hester tells the story of a Scottish seamstress who arrives in Massachusetts to make a new life for herself, and meets one Mr. Nathaniel Hawthorne. Her relationship with Hawthorne serves as inspiration for The Scarlett Letter, and this novel includes many of the same themes as that classic: Adultery, sin, control, power, patriarchy etc., but what's brilliant about Hester, is that the story examines these themes through an intersectional lens taking class, race and economic station into consideration which ultimately feels very fresh and modern.

As a reader, you get the sense that the story is impeccably researched. Tons of detail about Hawthorne's family history is woven into the plot, as well as history about the community and their participation in the underground railroad. I appreciated that supporting characters were well developed, and that Hester's romantic relationships were not the only tension in the narrative.

The depictions of embroidery and needlecraft were beautiful. From the implied inspiration for the infamous Scarlett Letter, to the pivotal role the designs played in communication, Albanese truly made these images jump off the page and into vivid imagery in my mind. But hands down my favorite element in the storytelling was the author's use of synesthesia as a foil for magic. I'm a synesthete myself (ordinal linguistic personification & mirror touch), and I lived most of my life without knowing the way I experience the world is a bit different than the norm. I think I was in my late 20s or early 30s before I learned about synesthesia and that there was an explanation for how I feel and think (like the heroine in our story, I inherited my synesthesia from my mother who also has the mirror touch variety). Besides The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender, this is the only book I'm familiar with that includes synesthesia as a plot point, and Albanese truly nails it - especially considering that at the time when the story is set, there had been no research on this type of neurodivergence yet.

Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for access to the advanced reader edition of the audio book. I especially enjoyed the narration by Saskia Maarleveld who had a lovely lilting brogue that added to the immersive quality of the story.

I’m not gonna lie, this one was difficult to get into at first, but once it picked up it was gripping. I didn’t hate it but didn’t love it either.

Isobel Gamble, a young seamstress from Scotland, marries and is stranded in Salem after her husband becomes addicted to Opium and falls in debt and travels as a medic on a ship in hopes or regaining money. During her time in Salem she meets Nathaniel Hawthorne and forms a relationship together. This is their stories.

4.5 stars! I really enjoyed this historical fiction novel. It tells the story of Isobel Gamble, a Scottish seamstress who sees the world in colors. (undiagnosed synesthesia). She moves to Salem, MA (yes, of course THAT Salem), with her disgraced husband, where she meets and has an affair with Nathaniel Hawthorne, author of The Scarlet Letter. The novel is a fresh take on how Hawthorne was inspired to write The Scarlet Letter, with Isobel being his muse for Hester Pryne.

*Thanks so much to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the audio version of this novel.*

This is one of the best audiobooks I've read this year.

Audiobook: The narrator chosen for this book was the perfect choice. She did a wonderful job telling this story and making it her own.

Story: The way the author made Hester/Isobel's story her own was wonderfully done. It felt like reading a classic story. The characters were well done, the author was vivid with her descriptions. I was drawn in the whole time. It was hard to stop listening.

Because this story changes timelines there were a few times the transition wasn't as smooth, but I quickly figured out the timeline.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillian Audio for the opportunity to listen to this book.

Isobel is a young lady with Synesthesia and is warned at a young age to ignore it so she does not get accused of being a witch. She finds herself married to Edward, a drunk and addicted to opioids and he puts them into poverty and they flee Scotland to Salem. He finds work on a ship and leaves her in Salem with no money and she finds work as a seamstress making gloves for a shop keeper. Everyone in Salem do not like outsiders and she finds herself as a bit of an outcast. While in Salem she meet Nathaniel Hawthorne. He is haunted by his ancestors who put innocent women to death during the Salem witch trials and wants to right their wrongs. They are drawn together and become lovers but he abandons her after she is pregnant. Eventually her husband comes backs and she ends up fleeing back to Europe leaving Nathaniel behind and she raises their daughter with the Captain of the ship. Her daughter when grown brings it to her attention of a novel called the Scarlett letter but Nathaniel Hawthorne. I found this story to be just okay. It is an interesting retelling and take on the author and what inspired him to right that novel. I just couldn't really get into it. I didn't really care for Nathaniel, I thought he was selfish and a jerk to Isobel. I wasn't routing for her to end up with anyone. I guess I was just wanting more from this story. The narrator was good though and I did enjoy that.

I wanted to love this, but I just didn't. It seemed to drag on forever. The only portions I really enjoyed were scenes with Mercy.

This is the shortest review ever, but I really have nothing to say. I fell asleep with 10 minutes left to the audiobook- I've stayed up hours to finish books more times than I can count, and I fell asleep reading this one at the end. I was struggling to stay awake for the last 45 minutes or so.

Saskia Maarleveld did an excellent job narrating the audio version. She is a very reliable narrator, and this was no exception.

I received an audio copy in exchange for an honest review.

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

Full of heartbreak and despair, this book follows a young Isobel, granddaughter to famous Scottish witch Isobel Gowdie, as she immigrates to the new world and becomes the inspiration for “The Scarlet Letter.” This book highlights her resilience of spirit as she faces hardships in her life.

I did not enjoy reading this book. In modern literature, I expect that events generally work together for the good, and this book was heavy with realities of an early American immigrant woman.

Nevertheless, I would recommend this book to Salem Witch Trial aficionados, people who enjoy historical fiction, and feminists. This book demonstrates lessons about repression and fear and how those intermingle with a desire for love. This book is beautifully written with excellent word-choice.

I listened to the audiobook, and be forewarned that it’s read in Isobel’s Scottish brogue, so the audiobook may not be for you if you have a hard time with accents. I found it to be perfectly understandable even at 2xspeed.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for providing me with an ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

I loved reading the Scarlet Letter and was excited to read this. I really had no idea how the author was going to tell this and I was pleasantly surprised by it.
This retelling of Nathanael Hawthorn was so much more than just his story.
The author captured the depravity of man and the dark past that haunts us today in our history.
The writing drew me in to the mind of creativity and the cost at being different. This story didn’t hold back on the realities of the time. The church and social standing ruled the day. I enjoyed the layout of it and wouldn’t wanted it any other day. This wasn’t a happy story but a very real one. Would I read another by this author? Definitely
I chose to read and listen to this and the audiobook was narrated by Saskia Maarleveld and she was excellent. Perfect for this book.
Thanks Macmillan Audio and St. Martin’s Press via NetGalley.

This retelling was clever and inspired. It was an imaginative story for what could have led Nathaniel Hawthorne to write The Scarlet Letter. It's a fictional account but it really pulled me into the story and felt so grounded in possibility that I was quickly invested in it.

The main character in this book, Isobel, is a young immigrant who has been dealt a rough hand in many ways. Yet she pushes on and strives to find her way in a society that doesn't make it easy - - especially not for women. The story doesn't just touch on topics of how women had no rights, it also deals with witchcraft, abuse, slavery, class and social divisions and more. But at the core, the story demonstrates the will to survive at all costs. It was brutal, beautiful and touching and I absolutely LOVED it.

AUDIOBOOK: The narration for this book was completely perfect. The accents lent to the atmosphere of the storyline and helped the listener feel fully immersed. 5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. I voluntarily chose to read and review it and the opinions contained within are my own.