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Queen Esther

by John Irving

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An orphan’s roots and chosen family

$42.91 USD
$45.17 USD $42.91 USD
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AlbakiReads Editorial

An orphan’s roots and chosen family

Born in Vienna and orphaned after arriving in Portland, Esther Nacht is taken into the care of the Winslows, a New England family who foster children other families have not adopted. They are not Jewish, but oppose anti-Semitism, and Esther’s bond with them remains central as she retraces her roots. The story spans decades, with its final chapter set in Jerusalem in 1981, when Esther is seventy-six. The supplied description brings family, belonging, Jewish identity, and the legacy of anti-Semitism into the same frame.

Good fit for readers who enjoy

  • Readers interested in multigenerational literary fiction and stories spanning decades.
  • Readers drawn to themes of adoption, foster care, and bonds with a chosen family.
  • Readers interested in Jewish identity, migration, and anti-Semitism as part of a novel’s subject matter.

Themes

Chosen family and foster careJewish identity and rootsMigration and belongingAnti-Semitism

Based on publisher information and book metadata.

Book overview

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, Dr. Larch meets the Winslows, a 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, she never stops loving and protecting them. In the final chapter, set in Jerusalem in 1981, Esther Nacht is seventy-six.

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