servant of Pearl and Nehemiah in London who had an affair with Nehemiah. Reception Mary Whippe of mostlyfiction.com gave a positive review, saying "Noyes imbues her debut novel with energy and literary weight, continuing Pearl's story while remaining faithful to the original which inspired it. Her ability to include period detail and to reproduce the religious beliefs and practices of the period give additional credence to her story, and the character of Pearl is free-spirited enough to strike a chord with modern readers" and finished by saying "pacing parallels that of Hawthorne, and her exploration of behavior as a series of good acts or acts inspired by the Devil is consistent with his". Jill Grinberg of Publishers Weekly also complimented the book by saying "engages with atmospheric charms of time and place, and though the major turns of the novel are predictable, she delivers an ending revelation that would surprise Hawthorne himself". Kate Ayers of ReadingGroupGuides.com gave another positive review, saying "While a dark tale, sad and poignant, it is a tale of ultimate enlightenment". Victoria . Brownworth of the Chicago Tribune said "[the book] is an accomplished novel, stylistically sharp and metaphorically keen". References American historical novels 2005 American novels Works based on The Scarlet Letter Novels based on novels