Thank you Netgalley and St Martins Press for an ARC of this book.

Our heroine in this beautiful novel is Isobel a Scottish girl who in the 17th century must leave all she knows to travel with her disgraced opium addicted husband to America to start a new life.
After only just arriving her husband leaves again on the ship they arrived to travel as an apothecary and medic, leaving Isobel to fend for herself until his return.
As a talented embroidery artist with a gift to see colours in sounds and words, Isobel soon takes on employment but her loneliness draws her to the arms of Nathaniel Hathorne. A young, handsome and mysterious son of one of the original family’s of Salem. But as she has been warned her trusting heart can again lead to heartbreak and danger. And how will she become the inspiration for his Hester Prynne in “the scarlet letter”.

I absolutely adored this book, so beautifully written that I found myself highlighting phrases in the first chapter. The character, plot and scene building is remarkable and you easily and quickly fall into the life of Isobel.
I loved the description of stitching and colours (as an embroidery artist I could see and feel the threads on the cotton).

I also liked that we got to learn some history about the witch trials of Salem without being completely absorbed in it.

Most of all I love and ending that doesn’t leave me angry… but no spoilers I promise xx