The Scarlet Letter / Алая буква

The Scarlet Letter: A Romance is considered to be Hawthorne's «masterwork». Set in 17th-century Puritan Boston, it tells the story of Hester Prynne, who conceives a daughter through an affair and struggles to create a new life of repentance and dignity. Throughout the book, Hawthorne explores themes of legalism, sin, and guilt.