Twice-Told Tales by Nathaniel Hawthorne
Hawthorne is known for his cataloging the Puritan history and culture of New England in fictionalized format. This volume of short stories does exactly that. Hawthorne writes tales about conscience and rebellion against the King of England, about the follies of financial success and the shortcomings of moral excess. I grew up in the American South in an evangelical home. The church taught me moral hand-wringing that allows me to relate to the characters in…