John Irving’s latest novel, Queen Esther, opens with four-year-old Esther dropped at an orphanage with little information about herself, aside from her Jewish heritage. In early 1900s New England, that alone made her unadoptable. As a teenager, she finds a home of sorts with the Winslow family, to help care for their 4th daughter, a surprise baby, Honor.
Fast forward 20 years, and Jimmy Winslow has two mothers: Esther, his birth mother, and Honor, the woman who will raise him. Though the arrangement was intentional, as Jimmy grows up, it leaves him questioning his identity and sense of belonging. Raised as a Winslow, he travels to Vienna—Esther’s birthplace—in hopes of connecting with the mother who left him behind.
Honor, meanwhile, is focused on keeping her son out of the war. Her research points to two possible exemptions: fatherhood or injury. Jimmy is a wrestler, and so she encourages the hobby to continue, hoping for a minor but serviceable knee injury. Ultimately, she feels more confident scheming to find him a wife—or at least a child. The order is negotiable.
Before joining the Winslows, Esther lived at the orphanage in St. Cloud’s, Maine—the one made famous in The Cider House Rules. But if you’re expecting a sequel, you’ll be disappointed. The connection pretty much starts and ends there.
However, if you’re an avid Irving fan, Queen Esther delivers as thematic favorites return. As mentioned, family and belonging are the overarching themes in Queen Esther, particularly the unique ways in which families are created, not birthed.
In addition, there is wrestling, Vienna, dismemberment, writers, absentee parents, and sex workers. I once came across someone who had charted Irving’s books and the common themes, and for the ones listed on that chart, the only one not in this novel is bears. (If I missed a bear in Queen Esther, let me know! But possibly, Hard Rain is the pseudo bear?)
I’m a huge fan and have read most of the Irving cannon. The odd characters you can’t help but love, thoughtful themes, and Irving’s laugh out loud hilarity has Queen Esther living up to all expectations. Book Clubs will find a ton to discuss.
Verdict: Fully recommend.
Book Club Discussion Questions for Queen Esther
- How does Queen Esther expand on the idea that “families are created, not birthed”? What makes a parent? What makes a family?
- In what ways does Jimmy’s dual-mother upbringing affect his identity, and how does his trip to Vienna reflect his internal conflict?
- In addition to having two moms, you could also argue Jimmy has two dads. How do the two father figures parallel or juxtapose his two mothers?
- The novel touches on themes of abandonment and belonging. How do these themes play out across generations—from Esther’s childhood to Jimmy’s adult life? How do you feel about Esther’s illusive nature toward Jimmy?
- Esther’s Jewish heritage isolates her as a child and is part of what shapes her trajectory.
How does the novel explore identity through ethnicity and religion, and how might that reflect or diverge from Irving’s past work? - Another trademark of Irving is absurdly memorable characters. Who is your favorite from Queen Esther?
- Despite heavy themes—war, abandonment, and fractured identity—the novel carries moments of humor and absurdity. How does Irving balance pathos with irony or wit, and what impact does that have on the reader’s emotional engagement?
- What other books by John Irving have you read and where do you see common themes?
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I was provided an Advance Reader Copy of Queen Esther by Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. Queen Esther will be available to all readers on Nov. 4, 2025.
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