The Scarlet Letter

First published in 1850, 'The Scarlet Letter' is a historical fiction novel set in 17th-century Puritan Massachusetts Bay Colony. The book centers on Hester Prynne, who conceives a daughter through an extramarital affair and struggles with the repercussions in a highly religious and morally strict society. She is forced to wear a red 'A' on her dress, signifying her as an 'adulteress.' The novel delves into themes of sin, guilt, and social judgment, and it's considered one of the cornerstones of American literature