Nathaniel Hawthorne was one of the greatest American writers of the nineteenth century. Hawthorne's writing is unique as it often featured moral struggles among the Puritans in and around New England. Hawthorne's books became some of the most famous works of dark romanticism and his novel The Scarlet Letter is considered a classic in American literature. Fanshawe, published in 1828, is Hawthorne's first novel. The action centers around a love triangle between an heiress and two college students.