Historical fiction book · Curated
The Scarlet Letter
Nathaniel Hawthorne · historical fiction
In 1640s Boston, Hester Prynne is forced to wear a scarlet A after bearing a child out of wedlock, while the town’s beloved minister hides his share of the secret and her long-lost husband returns under a new name to hunt the father. Nathaniel Hawthorne’s novel is Puritan historical fiction of shame, hypocrisy, and a woman who will not name her lover—the American classic readers still search by title.
Why read it: A perennial title-search early-American historical novel—the Hawthorne classic of colonial Boston, and a New England counterpart to Last of the Mohicans already on the shelf.
About this historical novel
The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne is historical fiction set around 1642–1649 in the Early modern period with key settings including Boston, Massachusetts Bay Colony, New England. In 1640s Boston, Hester Prynne is forced to wear a scarlet A after bearing a child out of wedlock, while the town’s beloved minister hides his share of the secret and her long-lost husband returns under a new name to hunt the father. Nathaniel Hawthorne’s novel is Puritan historical fiction of shame, hypocrisy, and a woman who will not name her lover—the American classic readers still search by title.
On HisFic we tag it under 1. Literary historical fiction so you can pair it with similar story types. Recurring themes include guilt, sin, community, identity, and Puritanism. A perennial title-search early-American historical novel—the Hawthorne classic of colonial Boston, and a New England counterpart to Last of the Mohicans already on the shelf.
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Plot summary
In 1640s Boston, Hester Prynne is forced to wear a scarlet A after bearing a child out of wedlock, while the town’s beloved minister hides his share of the secret and her long-lost husband returns under a new name to hunt the father. Nathaniel Hawthorne’s novel is Puritan historical fiction of shame, hypocrisy, and a woman who will not name her lover—the American classic readers still search by title. A perennial title-search early-American historical novel—the Hawthorne classic of colonial Boston, and a New England counterpart to Last of the Mohicans already on the shelf.
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Eras
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Regions & places
North America
Boston · Massachusetts Bay Colony · New England
Themes
- guilt
- sin
- community
- identity
- Puritanism
Tags
classic · literary