For the Love of Hawthorne

Nathaniel Hawthorne's courtship of Sophia Peabody lasted over three years because he insisted on keeping it secret. He had his reasons, none of which Sophia agreed with. But she knew they were destined for each other and he was worth the wait. When they married in 1842 "we became Adam and Eve alone in our Garden of Even" she wrote in her journal. But not all was paradise in their Eden--Nathaniel bore a burden that plagued his family since 1692. His ancestor Judge Hathorne condemned nineteen...