{"product_id":"9781471179136-queen-esther","title":"Queen Esther","description":"\u003cp\u003eAfter 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.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Book Grocer","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48957492035803,"sku":"9781471179136","price":15.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0523\/7646\/9701\/files\/4408e48d-ede9-41f3-9302-31cc4ea5fdac_8528405a-df31-4d67-bbeb-21119ca234f0.jpg?v=1783516227","url":"https:\/\/bookgrocer.com\/products\/9781471179136-queen-esther","provider":"Book Grocer","version":"1.0","type":"link"}