When She Woke by Hillary Jordan

In the not-too-distant future, Hannah Payne wakes up in the “Chrome ward” with red skin because she had an abortion. Her skin color reflects the crime of murder and she spends thirty days in the Chrome ward with television cameras watching her every move. While on trial, Hannah refused to name the father of her baby--the married man she is in love with, her pastor Reverend Aidan Dale. After leaving the ward, Hannah goes to the Straight Path Center and suffers through extreme humiliation and prejudice and decides to escape. But with “Chromes” marginalized in American society and everyday life fraught with danger, how will Hannah survive? In this contemporary retelling of the The Scarlet Letter, Jordan has written an absorbing novel about identity, religion, and love. If you enjoy When She Woke, try The Things That Keep Us Here.