The Friday 56: "Queen Esther" by John Irving

Hello, my fellow Friday 56ers! 

This week, I’ve picked up Queen Esther by John Irving—a delightful Christmas gift that’s already had me turning pages like a caffeinated squirrel. I breezed through eight chapters just yesterday afternoon.

This novel serves as a sort of prequel to Irving's The Cider House Rules. I’ve already barreled through the chapters where the St. Cloud orphanage pops up, along with the characters Dr. Wilbur Larch and Nurse Angela.

The story follows Esther Nacht, a nearly four-year-old Jewish girl left on the doorstep of St. Cloud's by two unknown women. Fast forward ten years, and Esther leaves St. Cloud's to work as an au pair for the Winslow family in New Hampshire. I’m gearing up for Chapter Nine, which takes place fifteen years later, where Esther is still living with the Winslows.

Now, here’s a teasing glimpse at page 56:

This set Larch off on another tirade. "Here in St. Cloud's, what has proper religion background and training done us?" the doctor cried.

— Irving, John. Queen Esther, Simon & Schuster, 2025, p. 56.

〜B.J. Burgess