Queen Esther, by John Irving (2025)
John Irving is a very quirky author. While the title seems to refer to Esther, a Jewish orphan, adopted as a young teen to be a nanny to the daughter of the Winslow family, much of the book actually focuses on her son, Jimmy. Esther was born in Vienna, Austria in 1905. Soon after her birth, her family immigrated to the United States to escape the growing antisemitism. Sadly, antisemitism was prevalent in the United States as well, and Esther's mother was murdered antisemites in Maine. (Her father had died en route to the United States.)
The Winslows of New Hampshire provide Esther with a loving, but non-Jewish, family. She grew up knowing of her Jewish background and values. She is determined not to marry, but does agree to be the birth mother to Jimmy, who will be raised by Honor Winslow. Esther longs to find her Jewish roots and becomes like the biblical Queen Esther and work to protect the Jews post-World War II. Her life becomes mysterious and her Winslow family believes she has ties to Israel's Mossad.
Esther's son is curious about his birth mother and her ties to Judaism. He also is determined to become a writer, so travels to Vienna, the place of his mother's birth. At this point, the novel takes a turn and we meet all the quirky characters that are Irving's signature.
Irving's descriptions of live in New Hampshire are so New England. His take on the formation of Israel are also so vivid and factual. As he describes walking down the streets of Jerusalem, I felt as though I, too, were walking with Jimmy. As Jimmy meets people, he has the opportunity to determine his own life course ~ is he the child of Esther, or of Honor?
I enjoyed the beginning and the ending of this novel, but got bogged down my much of the middle of the book.
3 Stars
Read: January 27, 2026
