{"product_id":"queen-esther-9781501189449","title":"Queen Esther","description":"\u003cb\u003eAfter forty years, John Irving returns to the world of his bestselling classic novel and Academy Award-winning film, \u003ci\u003eThe Cider House Rules\u003c\/i\u003e, 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.\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eEsther 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\u003ci\u003e any\u003c\/i\u003e family who'll adopt her. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eWhen 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. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eJohn Irving's sixteenth novel is a testament to his enduring ability to weave complex characters and intricate narratives that challenge and captivate. \u003ci\u003eQueen Esther\u003c\/i\u003e 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.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eJohn Irving was born in Exeter, New Hampshire, in 1942. His first novel, \u003ci\u003eSetting Free the Bears\u003c\/i\u003e, was published in 1968, when he was twenty-six. He competed as a wrestler for twenty years, and coached wrestling until he was forty-seven. He is a member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in Stillwater, Oklahoma. In 1980, Mr. Irving won a National Book Award for his novel \u003ci\u003eThe World According to Garp\u003c\/i\u003e. In 2000, he won the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay for \u003ci\u003eThe Cider House Rules\u003c\/i\u003e. In 2013, he won a Lambda Literary Award for his novel \u003ci\u003eIn One Person\u003c\/i\u003e. Internationally renowned, his novels have been translated into almost forty languages. His all-time bestselling novel, in every language, is \u003ci\u003eA Prayer for Owen Meany\u003c\/i\u003e. A dual citizen of the United States and Canada, John Irving lives in Toronto.\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Simon \u0026 Schuster","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51690895835410,"sku":"9781501189449","price":21.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_18d3c3e0-7203-441d-9175-f27d55a1199d.jpg?v=1761749951","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/queen-esther-9781501189449","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}