A Confession
I have a confession: I have never read The Scarlet Letter. Or, if I have, I remember truly nothing about it.
Do I need to get a replacement Literature Lady? Is this good-bye? Kidding!
Okay, so with that out there, I grabbed a book that caught my attention solely because of the cover. Not to mention it was available immediately on Libby and in audiobook format, which I desperately needed because my reading discipline has been in the slumps lately. Just being honest here, folks.
An Overview of Hester
Listening/reading Hester was like uncovering a diamond. It was a beautiful book in every way. Written by Laurie Albanese, Hester is the imagined origin story of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, telling the story of Isobel Gamble, the inspiration for Hester Pyrne.
It’s early in the 1800s when Isobel sets sail for America from Scotland. Her husband Edward, a failed apothecary who turned to opium and landed them in the poorhouse, accompanies her, only to abandon her to be a ship medic upon their arrival in Salem. Isobel struggles to make Salem a home for herself and soon develops a mysterious attraction to a young Nathaniel Hawthorne.
What Makes Hester Stand Out
Hester is jam-packed with incredible storytelling. It merges history and imagination in the most beautiful way possible.
Albanese weaves together Scottish life, immigration, Salem history, witches, writing, romance, passion, friendship, the beginnings of the Underground Railroad in New England, and so much more.
If this seems like too much, I assure you it was not. It flowed smoothly and detailed everything in the perfect amount, considering how much content it covered. This is absolutely a testament to Albanese’s writing skills!
Immersive Historical Storytelling
Hester was completely immersive. Albanese’s characters leapt off the pages, and I was truly invested in them.
I felt like I could smell, see, and taste everything the characters were; her settings were so vibrant and lifelike.
And yet, I didn’t consider her writing to be flowery or overdone. It was the right amount for the style of book this was.
Additionally, the supporting characters were well-developed and interesting, and there were many twists I was not anticipating throughout the tale.
Final Thoughts
Hester is definitely one of the best reads this year for me, and I absolutely recommend it to fans of historical fiction. It 100% makes my list of top 25 historical fiction novels.
It stands alone in its uniqueness, richness, and quality. It’s a beautiful, heart-wrenching, gripping story of one young woman’s life and struggle for belonging.
Copyright Laurie Albanese and St. Martin’s Press. Image from Amazon.
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