“Hester,” by Laurie Lico Albanese Submitted photo

Award-winning Book-of-the-Month Club author Laurie Lico Albanese will launch the new paperback edition of her acclaimed novel “Hester” starting at 4 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 7, at Nathaniel Hawthorne’s Boyhood Home in Raymond. In addition to a reading by Albanese, there will be a question-and-answer session, along with the opportunity to purchase a personally signed copy of the book.

Hester — which Publishers Weekly hails “a standout” — is a reimagining of the world-famous lead character in Hawthorne’s “The Scarlet Letter.”

Albanese grew up on Long Island, and graduated from New York University with a degree in journalism. She earned an MFA in Creative Writing from Stonecoast at the University of Southern Maine in 2016. Albanese lives with her husband in Montclair, NJ, where they raised our two grown children and enjoy spending lots of time with book people and writers.

Admission is FREE, with RSVPs (by emailing hawthornecommunityassoc@gmail.com) greatly appreciated. Walk-ins are also welcome. Those who would like to attend the book-reading — but who may not be able to do so in person — are invited to participate via Zoom. Please email hawthornecommunityassoc@gmail.com to be given a Zoom link the day before the gathering.

Those who would like to donate to the ongoing restoration of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s Boyhood Home in Raymond may do so by sending a much-appreciated check payable to “Hawthorne Community Association” to Hawthorne Community Association, PO Box 185, South Casco, ME 04077.  Secure credit card, debit card, and PayPal donations may be made online at hawthorneassoc.com.

For more information, please contact Margaret Silvers Myatt at hawthornecommunityassoc@gmail.com.

Nathaniel Hawthorne’s Boyhood Home is located at 40 Hawthorne Rd., Raymond.