The Scarlet Letter
Nathaniel Hawthorne, 1850.
Before you read: A serious story about shame and a broken rule in Puritan times. Best for teens.
In Puritan Boston, Hester Prynne is made to wear a scarlet letter A as a public punishment. She refuses to name the father of her daughter Pearl and builds a quiet, dignified life, while the town's young minister and a cold stranger hide their own secrets.
Public-domain text. First published in 1850; Nathaniel Hawthorne died in 1864, so this text is in the public domain in the US, Canada, the EU and India. Summary and notes written by ViralScopeHub.