A vivid reimagining of the woman who inspired Hester Prynne, the tragic heroine of Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter. 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. 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; But which is which?
"A rich tapestry of a novel. In dreamlike yet vivid prose, Albanese weaves a story about 19th century Salem, a place with a dark history where secrets still abound, and conjures the life of Hawthorne’s muse, a woman whose skill and imagination are both the key to her survival and the source of others’ mistrust and envy. Vivid, complex, and intricately detailed." ––Christina Baker Kline, #1 New York Times bestselling author
Bestselling Author
Date: Friday, October 21st 2022
Location: Litchfield Country Club- 619 Country Club Drive, Pawleys Island SC 29585
Your ticket includes an author presentation, meet & greet, personalized book signing, the opportunity to purchase the event book, lunch, dessert, and beverages of coffee, tea & water.
Ticketed Event
Refund Policy- Thank you for signing up for an event at Litchfield Books! Cards will be charged upon time of ticket purchase. We offer cancellations up until seven days prior to the event date. If the cancellation is past the seven days prior to the event, you will not be offered a refund but you will be offered the option of picking up the event book at the store, or in exchange accept a store credit.