I love Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter, which mentions a ten-year absence of Hester Prynne and her daughter Pearl and Hester's subsequent return alone to the Puritan village where she had been condemned to wear her scarlet letter. Paula Reed writes of his two characters ten years in England in the years of Oliver Cromwell's Protectorate and the beginning of Charles II's Restoration. This book (told by Hester herself) has politics, intrigue, Puritanism, and -- most important of all -- the friendships and loyalties among women and the importance of being true to oneself. I absolutely devoured this 300+ page book in four sittings and am very sorry to no longer be in Hester's company. Hester Prynne is an unforgettable character. While most readers will be somewhat familiar with Hester from the classic "Scarlet Letter", you may find Hester too changed to be absorbed by this rather fantastical novel.Okay, we know Mrs Prynne goes to England since daughter Pearl was left money by the old snake Dimmsdale, but after that, things get a bit harder to accept. Hester and Pearl move in with an old friend, but England is under the rule of Cromwell and a glum Puritanism prevails. Despite this, Hester,-who now has the gift of "vision" - [instead of being suspected of witchcraft]- is taken into Cromwell's inner circle to pass judgments on men suspected of really wanting Charles II on the throne.Oh, yes, she also manages to sneak in a gratifying-for-sex friendship with a man she likes but not loves. The story continues, and continues, with plot stalled for months on end and then suddenly becoming a convoluted a mad dash from England to Belgium (where she frequently dines with the future King Charles II)and daughter Pearl loses her innocence to a man far above her in station, with predictable results (at first, anyhow). By this time most readers will have decided to go along with the far-fetched plot or have baled out.No need to give away the end, but reading this novel if you have historical or literary knowledge requires a very relaxed attitude toward plausability.
What do You think about Hester (2010)?
I did not read The Scarlet Letter and this was it's sequel. I still liked it a lot.
—Amanda
Having read the Scarlet Letter long ago. I found this book interesting.
—LorianaJ
I won this on First Reads.... I'm looking forward to reading it :)
—adamdanoa
Interesting, but I found it difficult to get into this one.
—Miriam
