From the back cover:
The elderly husband of Hester Prynne returns unexpectedly to their New England village to find his wife nursing an illegitimate baby and wearing a scarlet letter 'A' - for Adulteress - embroidered on her dress.

While her husband embarks on a vengeful hunt for the child's father, Hester refuses to name him because he holds a respected position in the Puritan community. In desperation, the lovers make a secret plan to flee to Europe with their young daughter.

What the above blurb doesn't tell you is that the escape plan isn't thought up until near the end of the book. Don't expect it to be a major plot point throughout the novel.

I was fairly surprised to find I enjoyed The Scarlet Letter. Once I had got past the first introductory chapter (which I'll admit felt like wading through syrup) and the main story started, I got quite engrossed. The language isn't difficult compared to some hard going classics, and the prose is well written and descriptive without being over-flowery. The characterisation in the novel is particularly good, and I found myself liking all of them regardless of their faults.

I give it an 8 out of 10, and I'll probably acquire a copy for my PC so I can read it again later.

A NOTE TO 1001-LIBRARY REQUESTERS:

I’m happy to ship anywhere, but I will usually post the cheapest way I can as Royal Mail is stupidly expensive. I recommend you check to see if there is another copy available nearer to you if you want it quickly.

That being said, I welcome all requests as my books love to travel!

Thanks so much for your donation Lemon-Crisis!

This book is now part of the 1001-library. If you want to take this book from the library but don't know how to proceed, please refer to the 1001-library bookshelf.