Hester

Remember being forced to read The Scarlett Letter in high school? Remember it fondly? I know I don’t, BUT I loved how Albanese took this story, and gave it an origin that left me wanting more. Hester is a hypnotizing drama with a heroine you can’t help but root for from the beginning.

What appealed to you the most in the story?

Albanese has written a captivating and colorful story. The atmospheric writing truly transported me right into Isobel’s life in 19th century Salem along with its dark and haunting history that still plagues the community and threatened her livelihood and even her life.

I also enjoyed reading about Isobel's incredible and colorful sewing skills which involved not just intricate embroidery but making all sorts of clothing for various clients and how to tailor said clothing to hide one’s shape or deformities.

How was the pace?

The beginning is fast and then slows down till about the 2/3 mark. After that the story completely took off and had me completely enthralled. I read this with Erin and I’m so glad we took our time reading it, and I loved how we shared a lot of the same opinions about the characters.

Do you recommend this book?

This is both a beautiful and tragic story that brings to life the untold story of the woman who famously went down in literary history wearing THE scarlet letter. If you are someone who loves engrossing historical fiction, then you need to grab this memorable story.

Thank you, St. Martin’s Press, for this gifted copy in exchange for my honest review.