This month's book: Hester by Laurie Lico Albanese
Two discussions:
7 pm 1/13
10:30 am 1/14
Join us for a relaxed, open-minded, varied discussion of this month's selection. New people are always welcome; no registration is required, but you can sign up for email reminders. Extra copies of each month's book selection are available at the Main Desk.
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About: Hester by Laurie Lico Albanese
Ebook and eaudiobook available on Libby; Print copies at most local libraries
Isobel Gamble is a young seamstress carrying generations of secrets when she sets sail from Scotland in the early 1800s with her husband, Edward. An apothecary who has fallen under the spell of opium, his pile of debts have forced them to flee Edinburgh for a fresh start in the New World. But only days after they've arrived in Salem, Edward abruptly joins a departing ship as a medic––leaving Isobel penniless and alone in a strange country, forced to make her way by any means possible.
When she meets a young Nathaniel Hawthorne, the two are instantly drawn to each other: he is a man haunted by his ancestors, who sent innocent women to the gallows––while she is an unusually gifted needleworker, troubled by her own strange talents. As the weeks pass and Edward's safe return grows increasingly unlikely, Nathaniel and Isobel grow closer and closer. Together, they are a muse and a dark storyteller; the enchanter and the enchanted. But which is which?
"A standout historical… Even those unfamiliar with the classic will be hooked by this account of a capable woman standing up to the sexist and racial prejudices of her time." ––Publishers Weekly
"A lovely fictional look at the origins of [Hawthorne’s] masterpiece…the rich details of life in Salem in the early 19th century, and especially about Isobel’s creative work as a seamstress and designer, enliven the tale." ––Kirkus
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