Hester: The Missing Years of the Scarlet Letter

First, an admission: I never read The Scarlet Letter. Shameful, I know, but my excuse is that I went to an all girls Catholic school, and they probably felt that assigning that novel would be overkill. At any rate, I think I will be picking it up at the library this weekend, because I want to see what I missed.

Hester, as written by Paula Reed, is a really likable character. She has intelligence, spirit, and spunk, at a time when women were obedient and subservient to their Puritanical male betters. And Pearl is a lovely young lady, wise beyond her years, who I think learns the opposite lesson from Hester's situation than what Hester would probably like, but that just adds interest to the story.

Is is the best novel ever? No, but it's not bad. I found the story a bit contrived - it's not a stretch to believe that Hester and Pearl go to England thanks to Pearl's inheritance from Hester's elderly husband, but it is a stretch to believe that Hester gets so involved in the politics of the day. But I do love the intrigues of historical fiction, and 17th century England is a favorite, so I allowed myself to be swept up in the story.

However, for as strong as Reed's writing and story were, I was disappointed by the ending. I felt like she just sort of wrapped everything up with a nice little ribbon in order to get Hester back to New England to jibe with The Scarlet Letter, and it felt a little forced. But aside from that quibble, it was a thoroughly enjoyable novel that I would definitely recommend. And I really am going to read The Scarlet Letter.