Opening Night- JOHN IRVING - A Major Writer Tackles Antisemitism

A MAJOR WRITER TACKLES ANTISEMITISM
Saturday, Feb 21, 7:30pm in the Norman & Annette Rothstein Theatre at the JCC
JOHN IRVING / Queen Esther          In Conversation with Marsha Lederman

After 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 that shelters his protagonist, the
Jewish orphan Esther Nacht, born in Vienna in 1905. She is eventually taken in by the Winslows, a
generous and loyal family in New England (where Irving grew up and where many of his novels
are set). Despite not being Jewish, the Winslows respect Esther’s commitment to her roots. Like
her namesake, this Esther is heroic, traveling as a young woman to British Mandatory Palestine,
where she plays an important backstage role in the building of the state of Israel.
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 master storyteller of our time, for all time.
Queen Esther is a historical novel with a political theme, as antisemitism shapes Esther’s life. In the
end, her story is fated to intersect with Israel’s history.

JOHN IRVING has written sixteen novels over the course of his prolific career, the majority of
which have been international bestsellers. He won a National Book Award for his novel The World
According to Garp and an Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay for The Cider House Rules. His books
have been translated into more than thirty-five languages.
CO-SPONSORED BY THE JEWISH FEDERATION OF GREATER VANCOUVER

BOOKS WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE.