Hester

by Laurie Lico Albanese

Isobel Gamble is a young seamstress carrying generations of secrets when she sets sail from Scotland in the early 1800s with her husband, Edward. An apothecary who has fallen under the spell of opium, his pile of debts have forced them to flee Edinburgh for a fresh start in the New World. But only days after they've arrived in Salem, Edward abruptly joins a departing ship as a medic––leaving Isobel penniless and alone in a strange country, forced to make her way by any means possible.

When she meets a young Nathaniel Hawthorne, the two are instantly drawn to each other: he is a man haunted by his ancestors, who sent innocent women to the gallows––while she is an unusually gifted needleworker, troubled by her own strange talents. As the weeks pass and Edward's safe return grows increasingly unlikely, Nathaniel and Isobel grow closer and closer. Together, they are a muse and a dark storyteller; the enchanter and the enchanted. But which is which?

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.

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.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical, Book Club, Romance, Audiobook, Retellings

322 pages, Hardcover

First published October 4, 2022

About the author

I'm so excited to share my newest novel, HESTER, with you. This is a prequel and a retelling of Hawthorne's classic novel THE SCARLET LETTER, in which he links female passion and shame. My HESTER is Isobel Gamble, a young Scottish seamstress new to Salem in 1829, who falls in love with aspiring writer Nat Hawthorne and inspires his first novel.

I'm also the author of STOLEN BEAUTY, a novel about love, art, courage and war that illuminates the intimate lives of two remarkable Viennese women whose fates and awakenings are bound by Gustav Klimt and his golden portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer.

Thanks for visiting and for reading.

WARNING: READING CAUSES EMPATHY. It's a fact.

HESTER
A Novel

Coming October 4, 2022 from St. Martin's Press

973-477-3891
https://linktr.ee/laurielicoalbanese

Reviews

[jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

wholly imaginative, yet feels very grounded in truth and history. i enjoyed this so much more than ‘the scarlet letter’ itself.

and i think its because i enjoy books that speculate the muse or inspiration behind classic stories. its a kind of retelling that isnt done often, but always ends up being rewarding. not to mention the writing in this is soooo pretty. in this story, the men of salem constantly accuse the women of bewitching or enchanting them, and thats how i feel about LLAs writing. its a great vehicle for telling a story steeped in the mysteries of the new world and the complexities of human nature.

im really quite pleased with this.

thank you so much, st. martins press, for the ARC!

↠ 4.5 stars

[Rosh · Rating 2 out of 5]

In a Nutshell: Supposedly a story that sheds light on the “real inspiration” behind Hester Prynne of ‘The Scarlet Letter’. Great potential, shoddy execution. Farfetched in its reach, too neat in its ending. This is an outlier review.

Story Synopsis:

1829. Isobel Gamble is a nineteen-year-old Scottish seamstress who has newly landed in “The New World” along with her older husband Edward. Edward, an apothecary who has gambled his way into trouble, seeks a fresh start and soon after their arrival, he joins a departing ship as a “doctor”, leaving Isobel behind alone to fend for herself. Penniless, Isobel decides to make use of her talent with embroidery to survive.
When she meets young Nathaniel Hawthorne, there is an instant connection. Hawthorne seems to be battling with the demons of his family’s past, and is a recluse, but he can’t resist Isobel. How will this ill-matched relationship work? If you have read ‘The Scarlet Letter’, you can take a guess and you wont be wrong.
The story comes to us mostly in the first person perspective of Isobel.

✔ The book starts off well and I was hooked until about one-fourth the way in.
❌ After this point, the story becomes stuck in a quagmire of repetition, with abrupt plot changes that come out of nowhere. The ending ties things too neatly, and forcibly establishes the final connection with ‘The Scarlet Letter’. It was overdone.

✔ Isobel is portrayed as a strong and resourceful young woman who doesn’t resort to desperate crying when she discovers her husband has left her alone and penniless. She uses her skills in the best way she can and is actually proud of her talent rather than faking humility. She is shown to be a very practical person in her approach to her work.
❌ Contrarily, Isobel has neither judgement skills nor pragmatism in her personal life. She marries and falls in love for the silliest of reasons and continues to pine for Hawthorne even after it is clear how their relationship is going.

✔ Isobel’s character experiences synesthesia, whereby she associates letters and sounds with colours. Thus there is focus on her unusual synesthetic abilities and how it enriches as well as impairs her work. Through this ability, there is also an indirect reference to the fae world and how it may/may not guide Isobel.
❌ This focus gets repetitive after a while. Even after it is clearly established how synaesthesia works in Isobel’s life, we keep getting detailed descriptions of it. The magical fae elements remain just a potential that are ignored for most of the narrative.

✔ Isobel is shown not just as practical but also as a woman with an empathetic heart. She fights against the bias against her as an “outsider” (Doubt #1: Evidently, being a Scottish person in the US was almost as bad as being a Black slave. Can someone confirm if this was a fact? I couldn’t find anything to substantiate this claim.) ; she has “slave” friends and does her best to help them when she can and even treats them as equals; she doesn’t understand why people had slaves.
❌ In other words, Isobel is too “woke” for her time. Her portrayal seemed very unrealistic.
(Doubt #2: Can someone also please help me understand: if Isobel is poor and viewed as an outsider, how is she invited to all these fancy gatherings with the elite?)

✔ The book is written in dual timeline, with the other timeline going two hundred years back to Isobel’s ancestor, also named Isobel. This Isobel stood trial as a witch and her experiences form this timeline. Her story is intriguing and stresses on how barbaric the belief system of that age was.
❌ I have no idea why this timeline was necessary in this book. How were the stories of the two Isobels relevant to each other except that one was an ancestor of the other and both apparently had the same synesthetic abilities? There was absolutely no connection between the events of the 17th century with those in the 19th century. It seemed like a way of extending the book to a respectable length of 300+ pages. The back and forth between the timelines also breaks the flow on the “contemporary” timeline of the 1829, making the narration very choppy.

✔ This is marketed as the story behind Hester Prynne. There are thus many nods to the classic, including a repeated mention of the scarlet A, and in the circumstances of Isobel’s life that mimic that of Hester Prynne to a great extent. Knowing the original classic isn’t necessary to get this story, but it will make you appreciate the links better.
❌ The way in which the story is written—Isobel’s first person that continues even after Hawthorne goes his separate way—makes the entire idea of Isobel’s being the “inspiration for Hester” implausible. Moreover, I did not appreciate the portrayal of author Nathaniel Hawthorne in this work. It's not like I'm a fan of Hawthorne but portraying his character in a negative way seemed a bit disrespectful. In real life, he seems to be an interesting person with a strong opinion on morality and social constructs. In this book though, he is depicted as a weak-willed character who cannot escape his past and manipulates Isobel as per his need. I don’t mind real people being inserted in fiction but the portrayal must be true to their original personality.

✔ There is a wide range of “important” themes in the story: slavery, slave hunts, witch hunts both in Salem and in England, women empowerment, male domination, racial discrimination, subservience of wives in a marriage, adultery, pre-marital pregnancy, immigrant experiences, and so on.
❌ Wasn’t it just supposed to be about Hester Prynne? Why so many other, irrelevant topics?
(On an aside: Weren’t Black people called the N word in that era? If the narration had to be faithful to the time, it had to use the slur, even if the word is inappropriate today. How and why are they being called ‘Blacks”?)

✔ There are some memorable secondary characters though their role is quite minor in the overall story.
❌ The overall character development is very flat. You hardly get to see any side of Isobel other than her feelings for Nathaniel and her talent with the needle. Nathaniel’s character changes direction as per the whim and fancy of the author. The connection between Hawthorne and Isobel seems shallow; you barely feel their emotions beyond a surface level.


✔ I love the cover. It incorporates the Scarlet A as well as Isobel’s embroidery skills beautifully.


The audiobook experience:
The audiobook, clocking at almost ten hours, was a good way of getting through this book because I just might have DNFed or skimmed through it otherwise. Narrator Saskia Maarleveld gets the pulse of the characters and reads them well. At the same time, there are plenty of flashbacks in the story. Though these are made clear by the mention of the year at the start, they are still tricky as the main character is of the same name in both the timelines (though one is in third person and the other in first person). If you are the kind of listener who gets confused easily, better opt to read this if you want to give it a go.

Basically, I liked the idea behind the novel but am not at all impressed with its execution. It reaches much beyond it ought to have attempted, vilifies a deceased author without any justification, and tries too hard to create social awareness though the main plot didn’t need most of those subthemes.

This might work well for those who don’t mind OTT historical drama that spouts social commentary at regular intervals. The heroine having synesthesia is definitely a USP. If you pick this up, read it with your logic kept aside. I forgot to do so.

2 stars.

My thanks to St. Martin's Press for the DRC, Macmillan Audio for the ALC and NetGalley for the opportunity to read “Hester”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the audiobook.



———————————————
Connect with me through:
My Blog | The StoryGraph | Facebook | Twitter

[MarilynW · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hester by Laurie Lico Albanese

I did not enjoy The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne back in the olden days when I had to read it in high school. This story takes Nathaniel Hawthorne (Nat) and places him in the world of Isobel Gamble, a seamstress, who has landed in Salem with her husband, in the early 1800s. Isobel can see colors when she hears sounds, although there are a few people whose voices show no color at all. Her late mother warned her to hide her talents to avoid being labeled a witch. Now she's come from Scotland to a place that has it's own horrible history with persecuting women that had been accused of being witches.

I prefer not to get wrapped up in stories that are all dreary misery and abuse for the men and women in them. And I'm not fond of stories that demonize all men. Once I got into this story, I could see that this one was more than a story about women being beaten down by all men. This story has some really good people in it, both men and women, and that's what allowed me to get into it and enjoy all that Isobel and others accomplish. The good isn't completely evident at first because Isobel has to be so cautious about trusting anyone. She's been pulled in by bad people before so she's guarded, just as others who might try to do the right thing have to be guarded since there are others who would slay them for their efforts.

There is not much known about what led Hawthorne to write The Scarlet Letter so that makes this story more interesting. The author gets to give Hawthorne a fictional setting where his surroundings and even his actions could have led to his writing such a work. This story is improves on the original for me and I wish this is what I could have read in high school.

Publication October 4, 2022

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for this ARC.

[Annette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Scotland, 17th century: Isobel Gowdie is four-years-old when her mother teaches her how to make letters with a needle. The letters are supposed to be black, but Isobel sees colors associated with letters, and stitches them according to her vision. When her mother smacks her knuckles, Isobel sees fear in her eyes. Fear, because her mother doesn’t want people to call Isobel crazy. A witch. And here, witches are hanged or burned.

One-hundred-forty-years later, Isobel Gamble, descendent of Isobel Gowdie, is conscripted to tambour shop by her mother, a place without colors. But Isobel dreams to be a pattern-maker. She is taught to fear anything that hints at witchcraft. When she meets a man that promises her a sewing room of her own, she accepts his proposal. But that is just a promise. His poor decisions lead to the poorhouse, and later see them bound for America.

As they arrive in the New World, Isobel quickly recognizes some opportunities, awakening her dream of embroidery pattern-making. But with each day in Salem, she’s daunted by Salem’s established thinking and expectations.

Yet her path crosses with that of Nathaniel Hawthorne, and they feel an attraction from the first encounter.

Isobel is a captivating character. She lives in a time when she is supposed to depend on a man, but she sees the New World as her opportunity. She learns to be shrewd. Boldness comes easily to her, but she needs to watch for her temper.

This mesmerizing tale is shrouded in mystery, with central theme of guarding one’s extraordinary ability at the time seen as witchcraft. The story explores a spellbinding subject of synesthesia, a unique sensory phenomenon of colors associated with letters. And Nathaniel Hawthorne is haunted by his ancestor’s past, who was a magistrate in the Salem witch trials of 1692, when he meets a young woman, who is an unusually gifted needleworker. It’s a fascinating thread that is woven into this story. Nathaniel Hawthorne craves solitude to commit himself to becoming a writer after his college years, but evidence also shows that he was more of a rule-breaker during his college years. Did the transition happen so suddenly or there was more to it?

Source: ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own

Review originally posted at mysteryandsuspense.com

[Marquise · Rating 1 out of 5]

Reading Nathaniel Hawthorne's "The Scarlet Letter" can be a struggle, especially if forced to by school, but for me it was an interesting story when I first came across it, through the film with Demi Moore and Gary Oldman, and then the book. I have been aware of speculations about its source of inspiration for a while, all of them steeped in 17th century Puritan New England history with its witch hunt trials, its laws against adultery that hoisted red A letters on the convicted, and the generally oppressive atmosphere that Hawthorne himself detested.

So the idea presented in this novel was intriguing: what if "The Scarlet Letter" was based on Hawthorne himself? Supposedly, all his other novels' source of inspiration are known save for "The Scarlet Letter," a claim that had me doubting it from the start, as I'm not aware that there's a lack of candidates for Hawthorne's inspiration for Hester Prynne. Nonetheless, I kept an open mind and read on to see unfold this premise that Hester really existed and that Dimmesdale was Hawthorne himself, who later would base his bestselling novel on this adulterous love affair he was involved in.

And it was utterly unconvincing. For one, the author provided no argument but "What if?" The gist of it being that since there's supposedly no personal life inspiration for the novel, then that must mean Hawthorne had to have experienced the story himself and must have had an affair with a real-life Hester. And that's it. No proof. No argument as to why it's plausible. Nothing but a circular argument that it had to be personal experience. And that's where the story lost me, as there's absolutely no logical basis and it disregards any other possibilities that are far more plausible, and have actual proof, for what could've been Hawthorne's inspiration, which isn't as mysterious as it's claimed here. And also, why is it assumed that novelists need to have personal experiences with something to write about that particular topic? Even the most personal and inward-looking writers do write about stuff outside their experience sometimes, especially historical fiction writers because the very nature of the genre requires they write about things they haven't experienced personally. And "The Scarlet Letter" is a historical novel. Furthermore, there are bits in the novel that are easy to tie with Hawthorne's personal life besides the Hester/Dimmesdale affair, and there's actual historical records of cases that are surprisingly like the plot of the novel and that took place within easy distance of Hawthorne's own hometown. So no, it's not convincing to me.

But even if we take the premise as purely speculative and go along with it, it still didn't make for a captivating story by the telling. I struggled with the often flowery bordering on purple prose, the back-to-the-past inserts that throw you back centuries to tell a parallel story that was choppy and syncopated. And I also struggled with the synesthesia descriptions, that is the intersection of two sensory networks that results in the mingling of two or more senses (you "see" sound, you "hear" colours, etc.), which is overdone. My older sister is a synesthete, she can do what the character of Isobel Gamble can do, so I can tell that the descriptions of Isabel's synesthesia is exaggerated, Hollywoodish, and described like a non-synesthete imagines it is. Also, the ideas about synesthesia in the times before modern neurology could study it are far more complex than the detestable mindset that assumes anything not liable to be explained by modern science was automatically linked to witchcraft by the people back then.

The real Hawthorne was an interesting person, but here he comes across as weak and mostly subservient to the story of the fictional Isobel Gamble, who is hard to like and harder to relate. I do get that the novel tries to show how terribly constrained a woman's life could be back then, and it does succeed in that, although this is not exactly hard to achieve given that Salem, Massachussetts practically writes itself as the byword for oppressive, misogynistic Puritanism. Basically, it turns into a "The Scarlet Letter" fanfiction about the real author with a fictional character instead, a relationship too underdeveloped and full of adolescent angst that doesn't resonate the same way Hawthorne's novel does, whose strength is in showing the most iconic strong and independent woman in American literature.

I received an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

A masterpiece is the collection of a brilliant mind, a stalwart heart, and the deepest desire to bring dreams into being.

Isobel Gowdie had the gift of colors. Bright, joyful hues that beamed from cloth to print. We know of it today as Synesthesia which is a sensory phenomenon with multiple responses through vision and sound.

Imagine, if you will, the hushed warnings from mother to child to suppress any leanings toward delving into colors...... any type let alone vivid spurts of tone even in Nature. Isobel's mother in Scotland told her red-haired daughter to choose threads of black and brown in her stitchings so as not to be accused of witchcraft or being in the Devil's snare. And so Isobel suppressed her desire to light the fabrics with spark and eye-catching designs.

Isobel meets Edward Gamble, an apothecary, who asks her to marry him. All seems well as the young couple boards a ship for America for a better life. But Isobel will soon find out about Edward's "true colors" as time passes. Their arrival in Salem opens the door to a different kind of survival. Acceptance in Salem takes on an almost bartering system that operates on the worthiness of the individuals to reside there.

Edward takes to the sea searching for elusive potion-making ingredients for his business. Isobel is left to make it on her own in a small rented cabin. She falls upon her talent for stitching and embroidering and sells her wares to small shops.

But in the absence of Edward, Isobel meets the writer Nathaniel Hawthorne who is taken with poetry and trying to publish his latest works. The flame is lit and we will experience a forbidden connection between these two. A connection that will begin to unravel the lives of them both.

Laurie Lico Albanese has created a superb cross-blend based on The Scarlet Letter and Hester Prynne. Albanese has an uncanny talent of bringing life to Isobel and form to the complicated character of Nathaniel Hawthorne. She parallels her story with that of Isobel's namesake in Scotland in 1662 accused of being a witch. She, too, had the gift of colors.

And in the mix of things we find the early makings of the Underground Railroad in contrast to the nepharious slave ships along the coast. Albanese brings out issues of class, social status, female status, poppy addiction, and judgmental attitudes toward immigrants from Ireland and Scotland. Hester is a work threaded in the human experience during this era with the realization that some things never change and some drastically do. Hester is a grand work by the talented Laurie Lico Albanese.

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to St. Martin's Press and to Laurie Lico Albanese for the opportunity.

[Canadian Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This beautiful cover drew me in. The story, while good, just didn't have the impact I was hoping for.
Isobel has just arrived in Salem from Scotland. The year is 1829. Having made the trip with her apothecary and thieving husband. She is a master at embroidery and the niece of a witch. Her power and courage come from the beautiful designs she creates and the intricate letters and words she weaves into her work. While her husband has set sail on a greed voyage, she falls in love with Nat Hawthorne, a writer, with his own dark secrets of ancestors and witch-hunts.
Albanese does tackle many issues befallen on those times. The dark ones of adultery, witch hunts & slavery; but also the emotional ones of passion, friendship and fear.
If I may, I disagree with this title. I only figured out in the last 5 pages who "Hester" was, as the story is based on The Scarlet Letter - which I haven't read. Maybe that would have made the difference?

I enjoyed the writing & the characters but the missing omph would have taken this to a 5.

Overall, it wasn't Stolen Beauty, but it was an intriguing one.
4****

P.S. My puppy was drawn to this cover too and chewed it right off ☹ Well, he does have good taste.

[Margaret M - (having a challenging time and on GR as much as I can) · Rating 3 out of 5]

‘Double double foil and trouble
Fire burn and cauldron bubble’ (Macbeth) and this is what I was hoping for. A story inspired by 'The Scarlet Letter' and the Salem witch trials. I'll continue...

Based on a story of adultery, witch trials, and tears spilt
Hester is a book immersed in themes of shame and guilt
If you think this will give you the spellbinding read you need
Then adjust your expectations, some GR friends are agreed
That whilst this book was based on a great premise
It lacked that all important magic, atmosphere, and menace
Nevertheless, both books embrace men’s desire and greed
And a woman cold heartedly abandoned in her hour of need.

The Plot

Not much more to it than that, unfortunately. Isobel and Edward leave for Salem to start a new life, after he amasses debts that leaves them in financial ruin. However, shortly after they settle in Salem, Edward all but abandons Hester leaving her penniless and having to fend for herself in a new city using her sewing and dressmaking skills to make a living. A skill that can draw admiration and reflecting on the past and present events in Salem, also accusations of witchcraft for those who sew with colours.

The story also references a witch trial faced by Isobel’s aunt who managed to escape the pyre. Whilst the past and present connect at some level, I found the past story more interesting.

Review and Comments

With the original story of the Scarlett Letter and its classic tale of adultery, this offered the perfect backdrop for a tale of misdemeanour, witchcraft, and magic, with the setting in Salem. However, I feel royally stitched up by the blurb on this one, with words like ‘masterpiece’.

I was drawn to Hester because I enjoy books that take inspiration from the real witch stories and trials that took place in Scotland and Salem, in the 1800s. The book was also loosely based on Nathaniel Hawthorne's, The Scarlet Letter, only in this adaption he is the man, the lover, and the scoundrel. A perfect combination for a richly atmospheric story with lashings of historical intrigue.

Whilst I didn’t dislike the book, I certainly wasn’t spellbound with this retelling because it just didn’t embellish the original story enough and certainly didn’t raise it to new heights either, which was a huge disappointment.

The writing style was very good but lacked the atmosphere needed for evil and witchcraft stories and that haunting sense of doom and expectation that anything can happen. In the present day, I didn't feel connected with Isobel's story and plight yet I was with Hester in 'The Scarlett Letter'.

If you are looking for that good easy read, that draws on some historical events, then this is for you and please read other reviews for people who enjoyed this much more than me.

[Liz · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Scarlet Letter was one of those books that a vast majority of American high school students were forced to read. I don’t remember it fondly. But I was drawn to the idea of the woman who inspired Nathaniel Hawthorne to write it.
This is my first book by Albanese but it won’t be the last. It’s beautifully written, scenes so detailed they’re easy to imagine.
Isobel has been blessed or cursed, depending on your viewpoint, with synesthesia or multiple sensory experiences. She sees words as colors. It’s the early 19th century and not long since women viewed as different were burned as witches. One of those earlier women was her ancestor. As a young girl, she marries an apothecary. But his addiction to opium lands them in the poorhouse and then on a boat to America. She’s gifted with the needle and uses it to support herself once he takes off again on a boat as a medic.
Isobel was fully fleshed out and I was immediately drawn to her. She’s independent and knows her own mind, but she’s still constrained by the limits society places on women. She plays a dangerous game by befriending a single man, Nathaniel Hathorne (he later added the w to distinguish himself from his ancestors) while her husband is away.
So often, dual storylines don’t work. But here it does. There’s the 17th century story about first Isobel’s ancestor in Scotland and then the Salem witchcraft trials (Hawthorne’s great-grandfather was a judge). And then the 19th century story is about Isobel. In both instances, women who are seen as different face persecution.
As with The Scarlet Letter, the story has a lot to say about morals, religion, freedom and societal mores. How men take what they want from women and then blame them for “enchantment”. The ending was superb.
I both listened and read this book, which worked beautifully. Saskia Maarleveld did a superb job as the narrator. But I was so glad to have the e-book as once again the audio publisher has done the reader a disservice by neglecting to include the Author’s Notes. This is so important in historical fiction and I wish more audio publishers understood that.
My thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio/St. Martin’s Press for an advance copy of this book.

[JanB · Rating 2 out of 5]

Another tired story of the imagined real story behind Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter.

I don’t appreciate fictionalized stories about real people who are long gone and can’t tell their side of the story. Nor do I appreciate a ��man bad/woman good” theme.

I don’t deny that women were mistreated in the past, I’m just weary of this tired theme which is so prevalent in current books. I’m over it.

Does the world need a “feminist” retelling of The Scarlet Letter? NO

* I received a digital copy for review via NetGalley. All opinions are my own

[Debbie W. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Why I chose to listen to this audiobook:
A GR friend's review brought this historical fiction story to my attention. Since I love doing cross-stitch embroidery (especially while listening to audiobooks), I added it to my WTR list.

Praises:
1. set in Salem, MA during 1829, the historical aspect was clearly defined;
2. I loved the colorful descriptions of MC Isobel Gamble's needlework and how she became self-sufficient through this line of work;
3. I thought the use of the sensory phenomenon, synesthesia, was an interesting concept to use during this time period of distrust towards the unknown and/or feared.
(Note: I first learned about this neurological condition a few years ago from reading The Noisy Paint Box by Barb Rosenstock, a picture book detailing artist Vasily Kandinsky's young life and how he used this condition to his artistic advantage);
4. although I've never read The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, I knew enough about the story to understand how this modern-day reimagining uses Isobel as Hawthorne's muse for Hester Prynne. (Personally, I enjoyed it a little more than Girl with a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier)!

Niggles:
1. I never felt that Isobel was in any great danger of being accused of witchcraft or even of being put into the stocks!
2. I like flawed characters, but Isobel seemed to have a one-track mind, and Mr. Hawthorne seemed weak, self-absorbed and overall weird (was he like that in real life?);
3. the dual-timeline was confusing, and the Underground Railroad subplot was unnecessary;
4. in 1829, Isobel would have politely referred to her friend as "colored" or even "Negro", but definitely not "Black". Stay true to the time period!
5. the narrator was occasionally expressionless; and,
6. the ending was too tidy.

Overall Thoughts:
I really wanted to love this story! 3 stars = I liked it, but I'm afraid it won't be very memorable for me (I already forgot some characters' names!)

Recommendation?
If you enjoy historical fiction, especially those based on a muse and a famous artist, then check this one out. Myself, I hoped for more intensity and a stronger focus on this particular premise.

[Kay · Rating 2 out of 5]

trust the needle, trust the needle

2.5⭐ Poke me now, and wake me up...🥱 Meh, this one started out so well and ended okay.

Hester is a spin on "The Scarlet Letter". Isobel Gamble is an exemplary seamstress from Abington, Scotland. She's married to an apothecary Edward and in 1829 moved to Salem, MA. Edward found a job and set sail with a trade ship to Bermuda. He didn't return. Isobel then nineteen meets Nat Hathorne twenty-four...

I decided to pick this up after seeing four and five-star reviews. I can see why so many loved it and I did enjoy it at the beginning. The idea of the story is excellent and what's not to love weaving witchcraft into the plot? Sadly, social commentary ruined it for me. It was fine in the beginning but it was too much, too often. I was bored.

[Kerrin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hester, by Laurie Lico Albanese, is an imaginative telling of the woman who inspired Nathaniel Hawthorne’s character, Hester Phrynne in The Scarlet Letter. This historical fiction novel takes place first in Scotland, then in Salem, Massachusetts covering the witch trials in the 1660s and the after-effects that still lingered in the 1820s.

Isobel Gamble was a descendent of Isobel Gowdie, who escaped before being hung as a witch in Scotland. Both of the women had synesthesia, a sensory phenomenon where letters and words are associated with colors. The letter A is seen as scarlet red, B is blue, C is yellow, and D is green. Isobel Gamble and her husband are forced to flee Scotland because of her husband’s debts and drug habit. They end up in Salem, where Isobel meets Nathaniel Hathorne. Isobel is a talented seamstress and embroiderer whose designs are highly valued.

Nathaniel Hathorne was a descendant of John Hathorne, the judge in Salem whose family was cursed by a woman he found guilty of being a witch. Hathorne, who later changes his name to Hawthorne, is described as a haunted man held captive by the ghosts of his family. When Isobel Gamble’s husband leaves Salem on a ship, she and Hawthorne begin an adulterous relationship.

The first part of the novel dragged for me, but it did pick up in the second half. I enjoyed the historical fiction aspects of the witch trials as well as life in the 1800s. There is an interesting side story involving free slaves and slave catchers.

4-stars. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martins Press for my advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review. This novel was published on October 4, 2022.

[Debra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hester is a reimagining of the woman who inspired Hester Prynne from Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter.

Isobel Gamble, a seamstress set sail from Scotland in the early 1800s with her husband, Edward. Her husband's addiction to opium had incurred a mountain of debt, and they had to leave Edinburgh for the New World with hopes of a new life and brighter future. But after days after arriving in Salem, MA, Edward joins a departing ship as a medic, leaving Isobel with no money and having to scramble to support herself.

When Isobel meets a young Nathaniel Hawthorne, she feels an attraction and with Edward still gone, the two grow closer...

This book also touches on the Salem witch trials and the underground railroad. I had both the book and audiobook of Hester and found myself mainly listening to the audiobook.

Like many have mentioned, The Scarlett Letter was required reading in High School. I loved the book and have several copies of it that I have found in antique book shops, so this book was right up my alley. I enjoyed how Isobel was a strong character who was self-sufficient and a survivor.

Well written and gripping!


Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and Macmillan Audio and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

Read more of my reviews at www.openbookposts.com

[A Mac · Rating 5 out of 5]

Isobel is a young seamstress who lives in Scotland and associates colors with words and letters. Recently married, she and her husband sail to New England in hopes of leaving behind his addictions and debts. But as soon as they arrive in Salem, he joins a ship in search of riches, leaving Isobel penniless and alone. She does her best to make money off her needlework and soon draws the attention of Nathaniel Hawthorne. They grow closer as they both grapple with their own family’s dark pasts and their own dark desires.

I absolutely loved this work of historical fiction. I’ve always had a soft spot for tales centering around the Salem Witch Trials, but the author did something completely new and fresh with this work. There were some chapters interspersed throughout Isobel’s story that were set in the 1600s and focused on Isobel’s ancestor who was alive during the witch trials. This was a lovely way to tie the two stories together and emphasize Isobel’s and Nathaniel’s family histories.

The characters were perfect. Isobel was a relatable and well written protagonist. I loved the incorporation of her having synesthesia (in her case, seeing words and letters as specific colors) and how that related to beliefs of witchcraft. I can’t say enough about how well Nathaniel Hawthorne was written – the author excelled at incorporating how hard he struggled with his ancestor’s actions as related to the trials, and I loved how those struggles and beliefs influenced his actions. The secondary characters were all also well written. I loved Mercy and Abigail, especially.

The only thing I disliked was that I listened to this as an audiobook and the phrase “the devil’s forked pr*ck” was said so many times – it made it a little awkward when I didn’t have my headphones on! But the narrator did a fantastic job with the different accents and bringing the characters to life. I can’t recommend this work enough!

My thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for allowing me to read and review this work, which will be published on October 4th, 2022. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

[Taury · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hester by Laurie Lico Albanese. Isobel is a brilliant seamstress who sews to survive. She sews to live. In the end of this story she sews to save her life and the life of her unborn child. She falls in love which leads her to 1800s Salem, Mass. She falls in love with a man running from his past, Nathaniel Hawthorne. Then she settles and eventually falls in love again. A wonderful book brought on by superstitions and witches. Darkness not just at night. If you have read the Scarlett Letter, you will surely enjoy Hester.

[CarolG · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm unfamiliar with Nathaniel Hawthorne and Hester Prynne and his book entitled "The Scarlet Letter" but I understand that this book is a fictionalized account of a fictionalized account of their meeting. Hester follows Isobel Gamble, a young Scottish seamstress who sails to America in the early 1800s with her husband Edward who is an apothecary. They settle in Salem Massachusetts but Edward is soon off on another ship as a medic leaving Isobel without resources.

I really enjoyed this book. The writing flowed well and the story was easy to follow. Isobel was a strong female character who seemed mature beyond her years and the other characters were well fleshed out. There was a lot of historical information to do with slavery and the underground railway as well as prejudice to do with class and I was left feeling thankful that I didn't live in those times. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this book to friends, especially if you're a fan of historical fiction.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press via Netgalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this novel. All opinions expressed are my own.
Available Now!

[Melissa Crytzer Fry · Rating 5 out of 5]

I so enjoyed this prequel to the fictional Hester Prynne of the Scarlet Letter. The main character, Isobel, is a woman ahead of her time – determined to follow her desire for love, her passion for embroidery and her hope for the future.

If you are interested in the historic Salem witch trials in this country – and those persecuted in Europe – you will find this a fascinating read.

Isobel is told by many to “trust the needle,” a powerful metaphor strung throughout the book. To me, it signified trusting one’s creativity. But it also served as a metaphor for female empowerment – to trust one’s passion, one’s instinct, and one’s female strength. Isobel is a woman with grapheme-color synesthesia, which aids in her creative skills, but also puts her at risk during a time when fear of black magick abounded, and any perceived ‘differentness’ could be dangerous for a woman.

I enjoyed the two time periods presented – Isobel’s during 1829, and her grandmother’s during 1662 – and the parallels between both women’s stories of persecution. Even Nathaniel Hawthorne’s story and Isobel��s are intertwined through the historic lens of “accuser and accused.” Fable and story are impressively infused in this work as well.

The language is lovely but accessible, and I look forward to more books by this author. A few samples:

Even Forbes’s wife is screaming, the bright words leaving her black maw of a mouth: “A witch, she’s a witch!”

… the three ships in the harbor huddle together like dark birds sleeping in the tides.

And yet silence doesn’t protect us from the past, as I well know. When a legacy haunts a family the echoes reverberate even if no one hears them.”

You’ll enjoy an excellent author’s note at the end about the research involved and the spark of an idea that led to this book.

Many thanks to the publisher via NetGalley for the complimentary advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Olive Fellows (abookolive) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Alright, this is a tough one to rate/review since I'm of two minds about it. It's technically 3.5 stars (big shoutout to the Storygraph for actually allowing us to give books half stars even though they aren't owned by the 'zon), but I rounded down to three.

I liked so much about this book: how beautifully the synesthesia that the main character experiences is described, how it's an intriguing reimagining of how Nathaniel Hawthorne came up with the plot for The Scarlet Letter, and the way it incorporated pertinent flashbacks and commentary on slavery.

That all being said, the book was trying to do a bit too much. I was so absorbed by the story for the first half. Couldn't tear myself away from the book. But by the second half, as the author was trying to juggle too many balls, reading the book started to feel like a chore. Characters change or appear/disappear on a dime based on when the author needed them around and the conclusion felt very rushed. I think this one would have been much improved with some restraint shown on the part of the author.

Click here to hear more of my thoughts on this book over on my Booktube channel, abookolive!

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review to come at a later date! I liked this one!

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an egalley in exchange for an honest review

In Hester Laurie Lico Albanese speculates on the woman that might have inspired Nathaniel Hathrone(Hawthrone)'s Hester Prynne. As our story begins we are introduced to Scottish woman, Isobel Gamble, a young seamstress that descends from a line of women who see colors and have often raised the suspicions of the local people. When Isobel makes the passage to America, it is here that she and Nathaniel will cross paths.

Something in him knows— I believe this, even after all this time— that although his father will never return , a story just as powerful is coming toward him. It is me, bent into the wind, fleeing home with my colors and my needle and my own set of needs and dreams.
It is me with my red letter secreted away.

I can easily say that I was quite consumed by this story. It was one of my most anticipated reads of 2022 and it did not disappoint. I really enjoyed Isobel as a protagonist and I fell hook, line, and sinker for this reimagining. I was also intrigued by author Nathaniel Hawthorne who was certainly a man of his time. That's me not excusing his behavior as the story unfolds but rather accepting that "it is, what it is." I am even going to go as far to state Hester was better than The Scarlet Letter.

I’m a witch and he’s a sorcerer. Or perhaps he’s the sorcerer and I’m the cauldron. I wrap my arms around him and touch the place where his shoulder is scratched and raw. He cries out and my eyes fly open. I want to know him down to the soul.


* My quotes are taken from the ARC*
Publication Date 04/10/22
Goodreads review published 04/10/22

[Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have just finished reading Hester by Author Laurie Lico Albanese.

What a beautifully written and enchanting book this was.

The storyline takes place in both the 1800’s in Scotland, and then in the new world of Salem.

Isobel Gamble is a young seamstress who leaves her homeland of Edinburgh, with her older husband Edward who is an apothecary. Edward has fallen under the spell of opium and has other troubles throughout the years.

Isobel is taught to sew at a very young age by her mother but encouraged to sew without colour.

There is mention of The Salem Witch trials, and the book is also has a bit of spinoff of The Scarlet Letter.

It’s magical, intriguing, a bit of a love story and just so much more!


Thank you to Goodreads, Author Laurie Lico Albanese, and St. Martin's Press for my advanced copy to read and review.
#NetGalley

[Marialyce · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a truly intriguing tale of a young woman and her encounter with Nathaniel Hawthorne. Isobel Gamble finds herself drawn to Nathaniel and they two form a close relationship and then draw even closer.

Isobel bears many secrets and together with her new husband travel from Scotland to the new world. Her husband, Edward also has a secret as he becomes deeper involved with opium, He leaves Isobel in a strange land, penniless and departs becoming a medic on a ship that is casting off for foreign lands. leaving Isobel forsaken. However, she does amazing needlework, so this seems to be her destiny until Nathaniel comes along.

The times are difficult for all, but especially women who always carry the suspicion of being a witch should they possess special skills. History was recent and the witch trials of Salem are still vivid in the minds of many.

Ms Albanese also writes well of the concept of what made an American and how different Europeans were shunned because of their origins and accents. It also offers a picture into the world of some men, who do all in their power to make sure women stayed in their place, never glorifying the talents that said women possessed.

It was truly a fine story of what could have inspired Hawthorn's book. A Scarlet Letter, This story was meticulously researched and filled with the possibilities that there was something behind Hawthorn's writing of his famous tale.

Truly and enjoyable and engrossing story and definitely recommended to those who enjoy an well done historical fiction book.

Thanks go to Lauie Lico Albanese, Macmillion Audioboooks for a copy of this book, via NetGalley.

I was fortunate enough to receive both the written and audio copies and this most enjoyable historical fiction. Thank you St Martin's Press for the written copy.

[*TUDOR^QUEEN* · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I was a teenager I was enthralled by the PBS miniseries offering of "The Scarlet Letter" starring Meg Foster as Hester Prynne and John Heard as Reverend Dimsdale. Even though I owned copies of the book, I never actually read this classic as I was off put by the writing style. However, I was so affected by the poignancy of the story that setting my Panasonic cassette recorder from the seventies next to the television, I taped the audio to savor in the future (which I did multiple times; a presage of my love of talk radio and podcasts in decades to come). So when I first saw the inviting cover of this book weaved with red roses and the name "Hester", I instantly knew what it was about- and grabbed it!

The premise of this book is that Nathaniel Hawthorne (the eventual author of "The Scarlet Letter") was inspired to write it by a real life woman he encountered named Isobel Gamble. At the time she was barely 20 years old, as she disembarked from a ship on the shores of Salem, Massachusetts. She had emigrated from her native Scotland along with her much older husband, pharmacist/pseudo physician Edward. The moment she alighted from the ship the handsome/tortured young writer Nat Hathorne set eyes on red-haired Isobel, which ignited the events to follow. Isobel is an extremely gifted embroiderer, and employs her parents' advice to "trust the needle" as she parlays this talent into a means of survival. Husband Edward goes off on another long ship journey as physician, while Isobel must make a home and a life in his absence. Isobel "sees" colors when people speak (synesthesia) and associates certain colors with specific letters. When Isobel displayed these tendencies as a child her mother worried because of a family history involving witches. Nat Hathorne also had a colorful family history, as his ancestors were directly involved with the Salem Witch Trials. He bears an inbred guilt and melancholy because of this.

The writing style was easy and free flowing. I particularly enjoyed reading about Isobel's industrious sewing skills which involved not just embroidery but making all sorts of clothing for her ever increasing clients. In her youth she learned the critical tailoring skill of hiding people's various deformities. One of her customers was a young bride to be from a prominent family that had fallen pregnant well before the wedding, and Isobel deftly designed a wedding dress to conceal this scandal. She navigated business relationships by working for people who took advantage of her considerable skills for middling financial gain in order to slowly build her own clientele. This was a young woman who knew great sadness, but had strength, strong survival instincts and natural intelligence. As I read the book I kept thinking I would rate it a 4, but as the story came to a close it impressed and touched me so much that I felt it deserved to be pumped up to a 5. This was both a very inventive and appealing idea for a story, and I'm sure will lead people to either read "The Scarlet Letter" book or see one of the movies. Well done!

Thank you to the publisher St. Martin's Press for providing an advance reader copy via NetGalley.

[MaryannC Victorian Dreamer · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolutely beautifully written novel based on the real Hester Prynne from the classic The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne.

Firstly, I was initially denied for a copy of this on Edelweiss and I was totally bummed by a stroke of luck the author was gifting readers on NetGalley a chance to read it now for a few days and it was my oh so lucky day! Thank you to author Laurie Lico Albanese and NetGalley for gifting readers an opportunity to read this awesome book!

Told between dual timelines Hester begins in the early 1800's with the beautiful young seamstress Isobel and her ambitious apothecary husband Edward who set sail from Scotland to Salem in hopes of prosperity in a new country. But after shortly arriving in their new land Edward with his addiction to the Opium he cultivates for cures leads him to depart on an outgoing ship where he will serve as a medic leaving Isobel to fend for herself. Alone and frightened Isobel uses her gift of sewing to create sumptuous works of clothing for the local gentry women as a means to survive. As she begins to find meaning in life amid her skills she meets young handsome author Nathaniel Hawthorne, a man tormented by the ghosts of his ancestors who were chiefly responsible for the demise of falsely accused women branded as witches during the Salem Witch hunts of the 1660's. Together they are dangerously involved with each other knowing their love affair could be discovered by her returning husband and by the gossiping harpies of Salem. Without giving away anymore details of the storyline, this was a truly beautiful nuanced reimagining of the woman who inspired the character of Hester Prynne and the fierce women of Isobel's heritage who paved her way to survive. Recommended.

[Diane S ☔ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Emily Coffee and Commentary · Rating 3 out of 5]

An illustrious and enticing interpretation of the inspiration behind the Scarlet Letter. Gorgeous and mystical prose outlines the struggles of women as they weave names and careers for themselves, as they dare to follow passion and dreams, as they defy rumors and men who would silence their voices. Dreamy, but rooted in the harsh realities of early American history. A very enjoyable read.

[Christina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book from Net Gally in exchange for my honest review.

Wow... Now I've gotta reread The Scarlet Letter!

This book was beautifully written. There's so much that it's hard to summarize. But very basically , it's a spin on the muse behind The Scarlet Letter. However, there's so much more to it and even without that link the novel is great in itself. The imagery in this book made me feel like I was there. It also tied in The Salem Witch trials and the Underground Railroad beautifully. It didn't take long to get into but it did get better as it went. I'd recommend for anyone interested in Historical Fiction based in early America, Classics, Magic and so much more.. Just read it! Easily my favorite read of the year so far!

[Elizabeth (Plant Based Bride) · Rating 5 out of 5]

"They say witch, but what do they mean? Witch is a reason to kill you; witch might be someone to heal you; witch can be the Devil, or witch can be a woman so beautiful she makes you lose your sense. They've got so many ways of calling you a witch, they just change it to how it suits them."

I went into Hester, a tale of historical fiction which imagines the life of the woman who inspired the main character of The Scarlet Letter, with a bit of an unusual perspective - in that I have never read the source material. I know little of The Scarlet Letter, not even the basic plot, and requested an ALC of Hester on the basis of its blurb alone.

And I wasn't disappointed!

Our main character, Isobel, is instantly likeable and very well developed, with a clear voice. She has passions, fears, hopes, and dreams, and a unique talent, too: she sees the colours of words, including the infamous scarlet letter A. Isobel, like many women in her family before her, has synesthesia. And her mother, upon learning this fact, cautions her never to share it for fear of Isobel being accused of being a witch - just like her grandmother.

Isobel eventually travels from her homeland of Scotland across the ocean to the United States, landing in Salem with her husband, ready to start a new life. But America isn't all she had dreamed of, and she is left to fend for herself in a hostile land.

A tale of resilience, inner strength, found family, and feminism, and beautifully narrated with spot-on accents by Saskia Maarleveld, Hester swept me up and away on winds of red and gold.

A truly stunning and vivid story that kept my interest from beginning to end.

"And if I told it to my daughter, then she would know my secrets. And if I told it truthfully, she would know my pain. And if I told it right, she would learn everything that I know about love, and desire, and the colours. About this world and the hidden world. About the man with the red and gold voice, who was almost the ruin of me. And she would know how I survived."


Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audiobooks for providing me with an ALC for review.


Trigger/Content Warnings: sexism/misogyny, violence, blood, torture, murder, slavery, human trafficking, addiction/drug abuse, infidelity


You can find me on...
Youtube | Instagram | TikTok

You can join our book club over on Patreon...
PBB Book Club

[Cheri · Rating 5 out of 5]

’I lived in a world of magic and color then–my mother’s voice a sapphire stream flecked with emeralds, my father’s a soft caramel. In summer I ran barefoot through the valleys with my cousins and kin and saw their voices rise up in vibrant wisps of yellow and gold. The wind was sometimes fierce pink, and the sound of the waterfall on rocks glistened silver.’

This begins in Scotland, when Isobel Gamble is in her teen years, but married to Edward, who is much older. It doesn’t stay there long, as they leave Scotland and head to Salem, Massachusetts, for a new beginning. Since she was a young girl, she has known that she must hide a side of her that others wouldn’t understand - she has synesthesia, for her colours are connected with sounds. She is determined to turn their lives around, after Edward’s drug use had landed them in the poorhouse.

’Salem was meant to be a new beginning, a place where the sharp scent of cinnamon and tea perfumed the air with hope, a place where the colors could be safe and alive in me. I was nineteen years old and Nathaniel Hathorne was twenty-four when we met on those bricked streets.His fingers were ink-stained, he was shy but handsome. The year was 1829, and we were each in our own way struggling to be free–he with his notebooks, I with my needle.’

The true story of how he found his scarlet letter–and then made it larger than life–begins when I was a child in Scotland and he was a fatherless boy writing poetry that yearned and mourned.

Sometimes I still picture him in my mind, a lonely nine-year-old boy with a bad limp and a mop of dark hair standing at the edge of the Massachusetts Bay waiting for a ship. He knows that his father has died of yellow fever somewhere in the Pacific Ocean, yet the boy is waiting with pencil at the ready. Something in him knows–I believe this, even after all this time–that although his father will never return, a story just as powerful is coming toward him. It is me, bent into the wind, fleeing home with my colors and my needle and my own set of needs and dreams.
It is me with my red letter secreted away.

Salem will hopefully offer them a new and better life, but soon after they arrive, her husband leaves to return to the sea as a medic, taking virtually all their money with him. As she seeks to find a way to make some income, she makes connections, including Nat Hathorne, great-great-grandson of John Hathorne - one of the judges during the witch trials, who seems very smitten by this beautiful young woman.

There are many twists and turns that this story takes as it continues, and several themes relevant to the time period, including the Underground Railroad, how the locals treat her since, as an immigrant, they consider her less than - especially since her husband seems to have deserted her.

A beautifully written story with some twists and turns as it continues.