Hester, Laurie Lico Albanese

 

Hester by Laurie Lico Albanese is a look at the Scarlet Letter from the point of view of Hester.  I seem to have found quite a few books looking at well known stories from the woman's perspective and I have to admit that they shed new and useful lights on the stories.

Started: 1/1/2022
Completed: 1/3/2022
Recommendation: Mild recommendation
Recommended By: Nobody

Review:

Albanese starts with the concept of synesthesia making others believe a person was a witch.  This is an interesting premise given that it is six times more common in women.  I really like the premise and I think it has merit.  OK, so, cool, apply that to 19th century Massachusetts and the era of Nathanial Hawthorne who effectively ties a letter ("A") to scarlet.  Very interesting.  This book, however, is not the Scarlett Letter from Hester's perspective.  It is about a "real life" person who, in turn, inspired the character of Hester.  Is your head spinning?  Mine was.

Working on this basis...we tap into the life of a young embroiderer on the Scottish coast (make more sense now?).  She has synesthesia which allows her to put her colors together beautifully and, in time, to reflect the person for whom the work is made (some people have green speech or purple speech, etc.)  Of course, however, having this ability must be kept secret, 'cause all the female relatives have been killed for being witches.

Fast forward to America.  Where?  Salem, Massachusetts.  Yeah, super witchy area.  This is where Hawthorne lives (stained by one of his ancestors who was a judge in the trials) and into which our new red headed Scottish synesthetic embroiderer, Isobel, comes married but left by her husband while he literally pursues drugs.  Scotts are not well liked at the time (one run above black folk) so she is on the edge of town.  So, the stage is set and we are only half way through the book.

Over time, Hawthorne shows himself to be a coward and also a tad randy.  Isobel, manages to find her way forward "using the needle" and it was not clear to me how Hawthorne came to make Isobel into Hester.  Maybe it is through lies upon lies as a web he uses to protect himself and both gratify himself, but I think I am stretching.  I'm not looking to reprise the book, but I think that the effort Albanese makes is to try to get the reader to figure out how Isobel becomes a model for Hester Prinn while at the same time writing a novel that has plot and pace.  It is a very tall order and I have to say that Albanese pulls it off by the thinnest of margins.  I enjoyed the book, but, obviously, I don't know how I would explain it to anyone.