Wow. I was so excited just reading about this book! A fictional female character--descended from a Salem woman accused of witchcraft--who is the inspiration for Hester in Nathanial Hawthorne's The Scarlett Letter?! This novel hit on some of my favorite tropes--books about books, social issues through history, and a complex female protagonist at the forefront. I was IN.

Isobel Gamble is a Scottish seamstress who emigrates with her apothecary husband to America. After a short time in Salem, her husband (an addict) sets off on a ship, leaving her alone and unable to afford rent. She uses her exceptional needlework talents to survive.

Isobel's life in Salem isn't easy. The town and its inhabitants are haunted by the sins of its past. Isobel is continually subjected to hate because she's an immigrant and a woman. She is appalled by the institution of slavery and how it still festers in Salem. Her saving graces are letting her creativity shine through her needlework and spending time with the intriguing Nathaniel "Nat" Hawthorne, a fledgling writer who is obsessed with being better than his descendent, who promoted burning women at the stake. Isobel and Nat's connection is passionate yet tenuous--she hates that he's a proponent of slavery and knows he's too concerned with appearances to truly give her the love she deserves.

I'm thrilled to say that this engrossing book exceeded my expectations. Laurie Lico Albanese has put such a great feminist spin on this already intriguing tale. Isobel isn't just a fascinating character--she becomes the focus of a bigger literary narrative: How an anti-immigrant/patriarchal worldview permeated "the new world," and harmed anyone who threatened its supremacy. The descriptions of Isobel's synesthesia (she "sees" in colors) are gorgeously written. Albanese has written a romantic, powerful, enchanting book. I highly recommend it!