Literarycrew

Hester: A Novel | Laurie Lico Albanese

It‘s time for our discussion, #LiteraryCrew ! There are 9 questions posted as spoilers that can be found on my feed, the book‘s feed, or by searching the group‘s hashtag. Mixed reviews on this one, so I‘m interested to see your thoughts!

Next month‘s book is Charlotte Bronte‘s Villette; the reminder will be posted tomorrow.

Thanks for joining this #BuddyRead !

mcctrish, mjdowens, melissajayne, Jerdencon, tpixie, LapReader, Cuilin, kspenmoll, PurpleyPumpkin, Deblovestoread, Sace, CatLass007, Mollyanna, BookwormAHN, Pogue, dabbe, Sargar114, Karisa, bumpinthenight, Singout, julieclair, AllDebooks, Lkempf

Jerdencon I was listening to this one but didn‘t finish it before the library took it back! It was interesting and I have heard about people who have the color issue - I have to redownload it and finish it. 6h

Librarybelle I hope you‘ll be able to get it back soon, @Jerdencon ! 6h

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Librarybelle

Hester: A Novel | Laurie Lico Albanese

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8. It is true that Nathaniel Hawthorne is related to John Hathorne, one of the Salem Witch Trial judges and the one who refused to believe the whole episode was a hoax. Hawthorne was so ashamed by his ancestry that he added a “w“ to his last name (short bio on Hawthorne linked in the comments).

Have you read any of Hawthorne's works? What did you think of his character in the novel? #LiteraryCrew #BuddyRead

Librarybelle Link from the Boston Athenaeum: https://bostonathenaeum.org/news/nathaniel-hawthorne/ 17h

Pogue I read the House of the Seven Gables. I Dont remember much about it, but I do remember the tour of the House of Seven Gables and the damage women‘s high heels did to the flooring. 5h

Librarybelle @Pogue That‘s so interesting! 5h

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Librarybelle

Hester: A Novel | Laurie Lico Albanese

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7. How did the end of the novel make you feel? What do you think comes next for Isobel and Margaret in their relationship and their story? ~from Readinggroupguides.com #LiteraryCrew #BuddyRead

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Librarybelle

Hester: A Novel | Laurie Lico Albanese

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6. Consider Isobel Gowdie and her legacy, as well as the legacy of the other women in Isobel‘s family, including her daughter. Which of the women in the family do you think were the most influential? What do you think Isobel and Margaret‘s legacy will be? ~from Readinggroupguides.com #LiteraryCrew #BuddyRead

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Librarybelle

Hester: A Novel | Laurie Lico Albanese

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5. Scottish myths and elements of the magical world run throughout the novel. How does Isobel‘s belief in magic and the spirit world change throughout the novel? ~adapted from Readinggroupguides.com #LiteraryCrew #BuddyRead

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Librarybelle

Hester: A Novel | Laurie Lico Albanese

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4. Discuss the significance of Isobel‘s colors. What do you think it means that she has lost them at certain points in her life and gained them back? Why do you think she is unable to see colors with certain people? ~from Readinggroupguides.com #LiteraryCrew #BuddyRead

julieclair I think she lost her colors during times when she was depressed, or feeling suppressed. I did wonder why she couldn‘t see colors for some people. Looking forward to hearing others‘ thoughts. 5m

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Librarybelle

Hester: A Novel | Laurie Lico Albanese

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3. Isobel‘s embroidery is an essential part of who she is and allows her to express her internal creative process in a way the world values. Do you have a creative outlet or form of creative expression that is important to you? ~from Readinggroupguides.com #LiteraryCrew #BuddyRead

julieclair I love that Isobel was able to express her creativity in a world that put so many restrictions on women. I don‘t have a passion for any one creative endeavor, although I do enjoy needlework. I find it relaxing. 8m

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Librarybelle

Hester: A Novel | Laurie Lico Albanese

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2. Examine the various positions and choices that women in the novel are given and have to overcome. What journey did each of these women take, and who do you think ultimately overcame the most? ~from Readinggroupguides.com #LiteraryCrew #BuddyRead

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Librarybelle

Hester: A Novel | Laurie Lico Albanese

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1. At the beginning of the novel, we are told about the unique phenomenon of synesthesia, which plays a major role in HESTER. In what ways does Isobel‘s synesthesia serve to propel the narrative forward? ~from Readinggroupguides.com #LiteraryCrew #BuddyRead

PurpleyPumpkin I find synesthesia fascinating! And this is a thought-provoking question. My first thought is that it was instrumental in the shaping of her personality. From the time she was a young child, she was taught to hide this part of herself, largely for her own safety. She didn‘t even really understand it until she was much older. 10h

Librarybelle I like that, @PurpleyPumpkin ! Good thought! 6h

julieclair I had never heard of synesthesia. It‘s fascinating! And I loved how the descriptions of the colors associated with characters words gave clues to their character. 12m

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Librarybelle

Hester: A Novel | Laurie Lico Albanese

Tomorrow is our discussion day, #LiteraryCrew , for Hester. I had hoped to be finished (and this why this reminder is so late), but this one is not clicking for me. Beautifully written, but I‘m not buying the tie to The Scarlet Letter (and that will be discussed tomorrow, as there is a supposed closer connection to Hester than Isobel). I‘ll see how much more I can read tonight!

Looking forward to your thoughts tomorrow! #BuddyRead

Pogue I DNFed this one. I just could not get into it. 1d

dabbe @Pogue #same 1d

CatLass007 @Pogue I bailed too. (edited) 1d

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Librarybelle I think when you purport a character to be the inspiration for one of the best known characters in American literature, you have to be sure that there are no other suspicions to the origin. The author‘s note does not mention Elizabeth Pain or Paine or Payne, who is buried in Boston, and it‘s her tombstone that Hawthorne alludes to at the end of The Scarlet Letter. It just bothers me for some reason, @Pogue @dabbe @CatLass007 ! 1d

mcctrish I listened to it and I enjoyed the embroidery talk so much 1d

Librarybelle That is a fascinating piece, @mcctrish ! I also did not know much about synesthesia, so I liked learning about that too. 1d

CatLass007 @Pogue @dabbe @mcctrish I enjoyed the embroidery talk and I definitely had something new to think about when synesthesia was introduced as one of the many reasons people were accused of witchcraft. I‘d heard the term before but I never knew its meaning. Neither of these things inspired me to continue the book. (edited) 1d

Gissy I‘m late but I will read the comments later. Trying to follow all the Readathon/buddy reads/challenges I‘m participating this year. But I like I‘m reading books I have in my tbr forever🤗I have both books👌 1d

Librarybelle That‘s great, @Gissy ! Join in whenever you can. That‘s a great thing about these discussions—no time limit on participating! 1d

Sace I wasn‘t really that bothered by the supposed inspiration. To be honest I never even knew there were possible real life inspirations. Clearly I need to brush up on my Scarlet Letter knowledge. I (barely) read it in high school and I don‘t remember a bit of it. I actually really enjoyed this book though. (edited) 1d

Librarybelle @Sace I don‘t know why it bothers me so much! Maybe it‘s my mindset right now. But, if I ignore that part, it‘s a good story! 1d

tpixie @Sace I‘m with you I did not know there were possible real inspirations, and I just took this as the author‘s imaginative take on it and not a real-life take. That was probably our advantage. I loved Hester Prynne in The Scarlet Letter and I did enjoy this book. I loved learning about synesthesia and the embroidery passages. 1d

Mollyanna I didn‘t read The Scarlet Letter in school, so I thought that was why I just never really connected with the characters. Maybe not based on the comments. I‘ve got about 90 minutes of the audio left, so I‘ll finish it. It‘ll likely be a so-so for me. (edited) 17h

Librarybelle I‘m glad you enjoyed this one, @tpixie ! The writing is beautiful. 17h

Librarybelle @Mollyanna I‘m over halfway through and will finish it. It‘s probably a so-so read for me too. 17h

Gissy @Librarybelle 😃👌❤️ 6h

Sargar114 I started but probably won‘t finish today. Agree so far a so so for me 🤷🏼‍♀️ 4h

Librarybelle I likely won‘t finish today either, @Sargar114 ! 3h

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