Hester is somewhat of a retelling of The Scalet Letter, but in my opinion, that doesn't fully do it justice. I read The Scarlet Letter in 11th grade English and although I wrote a pretty good essay about it, I didn't like the book. It just had a tone of wallowing in self-pity (which is what I equate Nathaniel Hawthorne to).
Hester is the story of Isobel Gamble, a woman who has synaesthesia. (This is the second book I've read with a character with this condition and I love reading these characters). Isobel grows up being told to hide this secret and eventually marries a doctor who she hopes will protect her. Unfortunately, he's kind of the worst so they end up moving to Salem to start a new life. Isobel's husband leaves her penniless and reboards the ship to find ingredients for his doctor's business. In Salem, Isobel has to work for a woman who makes her create gloves in secret. She also begins a friendship with Nat Hathorne.
This book is very well written. I loved Isobel and loved reading her story. She goes through so much but keeps pushing herself through it all. The love, friendships between women, and perseverance of a woman are remarkable. I think the main point is that Hester is a strong character and Isobel demonstrates that. The other point is Nathaniel Hawthorne is the worst ( and this is just from reading this book and The Scarlet Letter). Honestly, this is the book I'd have much rather read in place of The Scarlet Letter. It comes out on October 4th of this year so be sure to either preorder or look out for its upcoming release.
I cannot recommend this book enough and it's perfect for a fall vibes read. I will say there are some content warnings to be aware of drug abuse, sexual content (not explicit), racism, slavery, blood, vomit, etc. As always, check out StoryGraph for a full list of content warnings as provided by readers.
Happy reading and see you soon.
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