This was rough to read. I was excited to read it but then I struggled. This character was so whiney it became annoying at times. He just went on and on and on. I feel it just went on for so long. I did a lot of skimming for a large portion of the book. I will say I enjoyed the ending, it was good, but my goodness it took a looooong time to get to that point - which it did not need to. One review said read the last 40 pages as it’s all you need to know, that’s true. I also had a friend reading (audio book) this at the same time (random) and she felt the same way! We enjoyed our misery together :) If you read it, enjoy and maybe you will have a different perspective.

I didn’t like this one as much, but I was proud to read it with just some help

Annie Barrows and Sophie Blackall did a wonderful job with the Ivy and Bean series and Stella and Marigold is nothing short of that. I love that each chapter told a different story!!!! I give it 5 stars!!!!

Had to read the book. The movie is so cute and one of my favorites

As I have read it, the Scarlet Letter is a fictional story inspired by historical events with major themes of religion, guilt, and human morals. Hester Prynne is publicly shamed for having a child outside her marriage and is forced to wear a red garment on her clothes as a constant reminder of her shame and guilt. Her daughter, Pearl, also serves as a reminder of her crime and plays a supernatural role in the story. It is revealed that Hester’s husband is not dead, but now goes by Roger Chillingworth and chooses to hide his identity, now becoming the village doctor. Hester had her affair with the Young Minister Mr. Dimmesdale but she keeps this fact a secret from the public during the course of her punishment. Despite this, Mr. Dimmesdale suffers by becoming physically weak and holding a hand over his heart, which conceals a (physical or metaphorical) letter A mark on his skin: the same letter sewn into Hester’s garment. Over time, Roger Chillingworth figures out that Mr. Dimmesdale is the man behind the crime and he begins to enjoy watching him suffer, causing him to become evil and connected to the devil (the minister does not realize this until Hester tells him). As years, progress, Mr. Dimmesdale's health continues to decline; Roger Chillingworth, who originally moved in with the minister to watch his health, becomes consumed by revenge and only worsens his state. After meeting in the woods and telling Mr. Dimmesdale of his "enemy", Hester and Mr. Dimmesdale devise a plan to travel to Europe (but soon realize they will never be able to escape the devil personified in Roger Chillingworth). In the climax event of the story, the Election Proceedings, Mr. Dimmesdale becomes revitalized (due to his motivation to speak the truth and the promise that his suffering will soon be over) and delivers an electrifying Election Sermon. As soon as the minister finished his sermon, all the energy left his body and he began to die. Wanting to die entirely truthful, he calls Pearl and Hester onto the scaffold and finally admits his part in the sin and his remorse for deceiving everyone over 7 years. He also reveals a literal Scarlet Letter "A" on his chest. After making a few final remarks to Hester, Pearl, and the general public, Mr. Dimmesdale dies on the scaffold, causing the public to go into shock. Roger Chillingworth dies within the same year and leaves Hester and Pearl with estates in both Europe and the colonies, causing the family to gain great wealth. The story ends with Hester returning to her New England cottage to live out the end of her life (continuing to wear the scarlet letter) and suggests that Pearl is living a happy married life in Europe with a newborn child. Overall, I thought the story was interesting, unique, and a great example of symbolism. The text even refers to talismans throughout the text and I believe they are a major part of the story's depth. The scaffold and scarlet letter are the most prevalent physical talismans, but Roger Chillingworth and Pearl serve as physical symbols for morals and virtue. I also think there is symbolism in the usage of reflections and alter personalities, though I’m not sure if it reflects different realms or the evil and pure sides of humans. Pearl is a very special case in the story, serving as a symbol in a variety of ways. I interpreted her as being a supernatural being who sends messages from Heaven and the universe (like a bridge or messenger between the spiritual and living world). At the same time, she is a deeply natural/wild being, known for being one with the forest and utilizing the color green. There is symbolism in her name, Pearl, as it usually represents purity, despite Pearl consistently being described as a physical representation of the Scarlet Letter. With Mr. Dimmesdale's death, Pearl is described as finally developing empathy and no longer tormenting her mother as a "messenger of anguish". To me, this implies that Pearl knew more than she was letting on, was a spiritual being with a mission to communicate spiritual messages, and was only able to be a fully functional member of society (for the time standards) when both parents were truthful and present in her life. In a way, Pearl carried the central themes of the text.

Re-reading

I liked this one. I had read Throne of the Fallen before starting this series and I really enjoyed it so I figured why not go back and try this one,

My only complaint about this book, other than the amount of tissues I went through, was that while I was somewhat satisfied with the ending, it seemed somewhat abrupt in my opinion. Other than that, there was not one thing I didn’t absolutely love about this book. I fell in love with both the beautiful writing and lifelike characters. I sincerely hope this is the first of many books by this author because I found the writing both beautiful and profound. I particularly enjoyed the way the two storylines were beautifully interwoven. I would recommend this book to anyone and everyone and won’t forget this book and it’s awesome cast of characters for a really long time!

I love how Jeanne Birdsall makes very exciting twists and I also love how she makes the characters grow up it not all at once. She is an amazing author and I think everyone should red her first novel the Penderwick

It was a different type of a book. I listened to it rather than reading it. I am not sure I like Cara. She doesn’t seem to self reflect about how she treated her son and what she did to him like as mothering him too much and throwing an iron at him. She doesn’t seem to really look at her own weaknesses.