Hester tells us the story of Isobel, a red haired Scot who has synesthesia – an ability to associate colors with letters and sounds. She is from a long line of women descended from a witch who escaped her trial. When Isobel emigrates to Salem, Massachusetts their history with witch trials has her senses heightened and she worries her own unusualness will set her apart in a dangerous way. On her passage over, she and her apothecary husband save the Captain’s life and his favor helps them settle but her husband joins the next expedition she is forced to integrate and survive using her embroidery skills. She quickly catches the eye of local dreamer and writer Nathaniel Hathorne and is tempted in ways she never imagined. And Nathaniel is inspired to write his most famous character… one who will live through the ages.
I loved this! It’s fabulous historical fiction that tells us both about small town America in the early 1800’s and glimpses into the prior century in both Scotland and Salem during their witch trials. I loved Isobel’s will to survive, her heart and resilience. The men were all pretty awful, which mirror’s Hawthorne’s work pretty well. The piece I really loved was the glimpse into the Underground Railroad and how that was weaved into the story. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐💫
If you read The Scarlet Letter in highschool and either loved it or didn’t quite understand it as well as you wanted to, this story will give you great insight.
Thanks to St Martins Press via Netgalley for advanced access to this novel. All opinions above are my own.
This one publishes today, so grab a copy! What new book are you coveting today?
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