The Scarlet Letter is a powerful novel set in 17th century Puritan New England, where a woman named Hester Prynne is publicly shamed for committing adultery and must wear a scarlet letter "A" on her clothing as a symbol of her sin. As she navigates the judgment and hypocrisy of her community, Hester grapples with the complexities of love, guilt, and redemption in a puritanical society.