John Irving’s 16th novel, Queen Esther (2025), is a multi-generational, historical saga that marks a triumphant return to the orphanage setting of The Cider House Rules. The narrative follows Esther Nacht, a Viennese-born Jewish orphan whose life is profoundly shaped by antisemitism and a fierce commitment to her namesake—the biblical Queen Esther—who protected her people.
Born in Vienna in 1905, Esther escapes Austria, but her journey to America is marked by tragedy: her father dies on the ship to Maine, and her mother is subsequently murdered by antisemites in Portland. Orphaned before the age of four, she finds refuge at St. Cloud’s orphanage in Maine under the watchful eye of Dr. Wilbur Larch. But, because of her Jewish identity, she is considered “unadoptable.” Then, at age fourteen, she is taken in by the Winslows, a wealthy, non-Jewish, philanthropic family from New Hampshire with deep New England roots.
The Winslows provide a nourishing home, where Esther becomes a loyal and devoted nanny to their youngest daughter, Honor. However, Esther is haunted by her lost childhood and driven by a desire to act as a protector of her people. She makes a pact with Honor: when the time is right, Esther will have a child for Honor to raise. To fulfill this, she travels to what Mandatory Palestine, as it’s know at that time. There she meets Moshe Kleinberg, a married Jewish wrestler who becomes the father of her child, Jimmy. Esther hands her newborn son to Honor in 1941 and returns to Israel, becoming a relentless Zionist defender during a turbulent era.
The narrative shifts to the 1960s, focusing on Jimmy’s development as a member of the Winslow family, and his education in Vienna, echoing typical Irving themes of wrestling, sexual absurdity, and political conflict. As the Vietnam War intensifies, Honor attempts to secure a draft deferment for her son through a “dependency deferment” plan, utilizing a complex familial arrangement with one of Jimmy’s roommates, Jolanda. Throughout this time, Esther remains a background figure who profoundly influences the family from afar, embodied by her tattooed skin which reads, “I care for myself,” a citation from Jane Eyre.
In the final chapter, set in Jerusalem in 1981, a seventy-six-year-old Esther Nacht is recognized as a formidable force in Israeli society. Queen Esther explores themes of identity, belonging, and the resilience of a chosen family, serving as both a historical study and a personal story of survival. Irving skillfully weaves in his characteristic style—rich character development, biting humor, and a deep, empathetic look at the Jewish experience in the 20th century.