Description

Upon the death of her demonic husband, Hester Prynne is left a widow, and her daughter Pearl, a wealthy heiress. Hester takes her daughter to live a quiet life in England--only to find herself drawn into the circle of the most powerful Puritan of all time, Oliver Cromwell.

From the moment Hester donned the famous scarlet letter, it instilled in her the power to see the sins and hypocrisy of others, an ability not lost on the Lord Protector of the Commonwealth. To Cromwell, Hester’s sight is either a sign of sorcery or a divine gift that Hester must use to assist the divinely chosen in his scheming to control England.  Since sorcery carries a death sentence, Hester is compelled against her will to use her sight to assist Cromwell. She soon finds herself entangled in a web of political intrigue, espionage, and forbidden love.

Hester will carry readers away to seventeenth century England with a deeply human story of family, love, history, desire, weakness, and the human ideal.

About the Author

PAULA REED is an English teacher at Columbine High School of Littleton, Colorado. After surviving the tragic shooting there, she, not unlike many students and teachers who were there that day, decided the time to pursue all of one’s true passions is now. Paula’s passions are teaching and writing.

Praise for Hester: The Missing Years of the The Scarlet Letter: A Novel…

"Have you ever closed The Scarlet Letter and yearned to see what the future holds for Hester Prynne and her headstrong daughter Pearl? Paula Reed's richly imagined novel transports us across the sea to Interregnum England, where these two unique American women face political intrigue, discover passion, and seek their fortune in the shadow of Cromwell's England." --Katherine Howe, New York Times bestselling author of The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane

“A haunting excursion into the 'lost years' of Hester Prynne, only hinted at in the The Scarlet Letter. Hester is suspenseful and beguiling storytelling.”--Margaret George, New York Times bestselling author of Mary, Called Magdalene and Mary Queen of Scotland & the Isles

“Intriguing and engaging, Hester gives us a vivid, passionate exploration of the lost years of one of fiction's most memorable characters:  Hester Prynne.  HESTER takes us on a journey to a dangerous, tumultuous time where Hester learns her own power and gains insight into her own troubled heart.”--- India Edghill, author of Delilah

 "Paula Reed's Hester is a heart-rending journey through love and sin, guilt and loss. A thoroughly captivating tale, certain to earn its place on your shelf of favorites. "  
--Jamie Ford, New York Times  bestselling author of Hotel On The Corner Of Bitter And Sweet