Book Review: Hester by Laurie Lico Albanese

 GOODREADS SUMMARY:

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.

TEE'S THOUGHTS:

First I want to say I absolutely love the fact that Albanese has taken Nathanial Hawthorne and his massively popular book The Scarlett Letter and weaved it into her story. I am a big fan of Hawthorne's work and at first, was a bit skeptical about reading Hester, but the author wrote a beautiful story.
She uses Synesthesia, a sensory phenomenon that allows the main character Isobel to see colors, in this case, letters and stitches she sews. I had to look it up, I had never heard of it before, I found the explanation interesting, but am still not sure I have a complete grasp on it, but I did enjoy the author using it in the story.

Isobel has had the phenomenon since she was four but her mother warned her to suppress it for the fear of being accused of witchcraft. Isobel travels to Salem from Scotland with her husband, a failed apothecary and opium addict, hoping to find a better life. While she is there she meets Nathanial Hawthorne. They instantly form a connection that will unravel both of their lives. You can imagine the judgments of people when a married woman takes up a friendship with a single man.


Isobel is likable, she is strong and independent, making her the perfect subject for this book. Her character could travel across time and still find herself in the same situation, as the subjects the author writes about can still be found today. The story deals with social issues of class distinction, judgment, and addiction, but also love...it is a love story on many different levels

Again I will say that Hester is beautifully written. You will feel intense feelings of sadness as you read parts of it, but you will also find hope and love in the pages. I could go on gushing about Hester, but I will just end by telling you to read it, it is magical, and the writing will bewitch you.