Queen Esther

De: John Irving

Narrado por: Ari Fliakos

After forty years, John Irving returns to the world of his bestselling classic novel and Academy Award–winning film, The Cider House Rules, revisiting the orphanage in St. Cloud’s, Maine, where Dr. Wilbur Larch takes in Esther—a Viennese-born Jew whose life is shaped by anti-Semitism.

Esther Nacht is born in Vienna in 1905. Her father dies on board the ship to Portland, Maine; her mother is murdered by anti-Semites in Portland. Dr. Larch knows it won’t be easy to find a Jewish family to adopt Esther; in fact, he won’t find any family who’ll adopt her.

When Esther is fourteen, soon to be a ward of the state, Dr. Larch meets the Winslows, a philanthropic New England family with a history of providing foster care for unadopted orphans. The Winslows aren’t Jewish, but they despise anti-Semitism. Esther’s gratitude for the Winslows is unending; even as she retraces her roots back to Vienna, she never stops loving and protecting the Winslows. In the final chapter, set in Jerusalem in 1981, Esther Nacht is seventy-six.

John Irving’s sixteenth novel is a testament to his enduring ability to weave complex characters and intricate narratives that challenge and captivate. Queen Esther is not just a story of survival but a profound exploration of identity, belonging, and the enduring impact of history on our personal lives showcasing why Irving remains one of the world’s most beloved, provocative, and entertaining authors—a storyteller of our time and for all time.

Everything We Love About John Irving

… is in this book.
From the opening sentence to the last words this story will captivate the reader.
Ari Fliakos was the right choice to perform Queen Esther.

Loved the Book!

From the very beginning, John Erving had me captivated. The characters came to life in my mind through the author's prose and the plot and the outcome were absolutely believable.

Disappointing from a FORMERLY favorite author

This was such a disappointment from John Irving, formerly a favorite author. Truthfully, it seems like he was on a mental masturbation trip for many parts of the book. It is very disjointed and full of meaningless conversations and historical segments. So much promise-such a waste of time.

Not much

This one did not grip meet at all. Very disappointing. The few times I was looking forward to getting to know a character better the character was dropped in the story Many pages of nothing.

Let’s play Boggle with John Irving tropes

This was a regurgitation of every other book he’s ever written. Missed opportunity to explore Esther as a real person instead of another narrative of John Irving as a young man. I’ve read all his books but I’m not reading another one. Zzzzz!