Writing a historical fiction from the point of view of the woman who inspired Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter is no small feat, yet Lauren Lico Albanese did it fantastically.

Hester is a story about Isobel Gamble, a talented seamstress who uses what we now know as synesthesia (but would have been viewed during this time as witch craft) to create pieces wholly unique from others practicing the art. A young woman, Isobel travels to Salem, Oregon from Scotland in hopes to find a new life in America with her husband, Edward. Shortly after arriving in Salem, Edward goes to work at sea- taking all of Isobel's money with him.

As Isobel starts trying to make her own way as best as a woman could in early 1800's Salem, she happens to meet a man named Nat Hawthorne. Hester takes us through Isobel's budding relationship with Nat, one fraught with obstacles from the start, and how two artists can create both magic and misery together.

I absolutely loved this book. It was lauded to be a "vivid reimagining" and that holds absolutely true. Isobel was a strong female lead and I felt she really propelled the story and added gorgeous context to the point of reference, The Scarlet Letter. The stark contrast between the flashbacks to the 1600's, the story being told in the 1800's and my knowledge of experiencing the world as a woman today made the story all the more real to me, and all the more interesting.

I thought the reader of the audiobook did a fantastic job, especially switching between accents to make each character stand out. Her cadence was perfect and her ability to convey emotions was brilliant.

Thanks so much to Macmillian Audio and Netgalley for the opportunity to listen to an ALC of Hester in exchange for my honest thoughts!