The Scarlet Letter

When the elderly husband of Hester Prynne returns unexpectedly to their New England village to find his wife nursing an illegitimate baby and wearing a scarlet letter ''A'' - for Adulteress - embroidered on her dress, he embarks on a vengeful hunt for the child''s father. Hester refuses to name him because he holds a respected position in the Puritan community, and in desperation, the lovers make a secret plan to flee to Europe with their young daughter. The Scarlet Letter was an instant bestseller when it was first published in 1850 and remains so today.