Written by Diana Rubino

Published by Taylor and Seale

Review by Meredith Allard

Nathaniel Hawthorne has long been one of my favorite American authors. I remember reading The House of the Seven Gables as an English major and I loved his writing. For the Love of Hawthorne is an intriguing look into Hawthorne’s relationship with Sophia Peabody, but it also deals with Hawthorne’s guilt over his ancestor John Hathorne, a merciless prosecutor of the accused “witches” during the Salem Witch Trials in 1692 (Hawthorne added the w to his last name in an attempt to add some distance between himself and his “hanging judge” ancestor).

In Diana Rubino’s book, I was drawn to the idea that love, patience, and perhaps some forgiveness can help us overcome that which haunts us most. I highly recommend this book for anyone with an interest in the Salem Witch Trials, historical romance, or even Nathaniel Hawthorne himself.

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Meredith Allard is the Executive Editor of The Copperfield Review.