ABOUT THE BOOK
WHO IS THE REAL HESTER PRYNNE?
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 Glasgow 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, Laurie Lico Albanese’s 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.
| Publisher | St. Martin’s Press |
| Published Date | October 4, 2022 |
WHAT’S BEING SAID
“Engrossing.” ––WBUR / NPR Boston
“This thoughtfully researched tale shines a light on the barriers faced by 19th-century women who did not conform.” ––Washington Post“Enthralling, ambitious, and a total knock-out.”––Fiona Davis, New York Times bestselling author of The Lions of Fifth Avenue
When I was in school, THE SCARLET LETTER was required reading. However, I won’t share how long ago that was. Anyway, suffice it to say that I looked up the synopsis of the story before starting HESTER. And I’m glad I did, though it wasn’t something that you’d have to do.
As I started reading I could almost feel the history come alive. And though the first half of the book was interesting, the last half picked up and really captured my interest.
I loved reading about the family dynamic at that time, and where women fit into that as well as society.
I found the references to slavery and witchcraft woven beautifully into the story. And the author also managed to work something in that was very important in women’s history. And that was the ability to sew.
Even the writing style reflected that of a classic novel.
My Concerns
If I criticized anything at all, the first of the novel felt a little slower and less interesting.
Final Thoughts
I highly recommend this creative story that is rich in historical details. As a bonus you’ll love the beautiful cover that surrounds it.
My thanks to St. Martins Publishing Group for a gifted copy of the book to review and the ability to post my thoughts without any stipulations.
About the Author
Laurie Lico Albanese is an award-winning novelist and journalist. HESTER is an Audible Best Book of 2022, an IndieNext and Canadian and American Librarians October 2022 selection, a Gillian Flynn Best Books of Fall 2022, a Book of the Month club selection, and a finalist in the Goodreads Best Books of the Year. Laurie’s novel STOLEN BEAUTY was praised by the Wall Street Journal as “a work of art itself.”
Laurie is a recipient of a Catherine R. Dodge Foundation Visiting Fellowship to the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts, a Hadassah-Brandeis Research Award, and a New Jersey State Council of the Arts Fellowship in Fiction Writing. She’s taught literature and writing workshops at Wager College, Stonecoast Summer Writing Program at the University of Southern Maine where she earned her MFA, and elsewhere. Laurie’s novels have been translated into Italian, Spanish, French, German, Portuguese and soon, Croatian. She lives with her husband and rescue dogs in New Jersey, where they raised their two grown children.
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