Absolutely one of the best books I have read this year. I love the way the author wove Nathaniel Hawthorne’s story of Hester and The Scarlet Letter perfectly into this novel about a woman in the 1800s who embroiders but has synesthesia where she associates certain colors with letters. I love the way she portrayed Isobel as a strong woman- but to men she could be seen as a temptress. A beautifully woven (pun intended) story.
Hester by Laurie Lico Albanese, (List Price: $27.99, St. Martin’s Press, 9781250278555, October 2022)
Reviewed by Olivia Meletes-Morris, Litchfield Books in Pawleys Island , South Carolina