John Irving’s novel The Cider House Rules (1985) explores the ethical complexities of abortion. It is mostly set in an orphanage in Maine in the early 20th century. The main characters are Dr. Wilbur Larch, an ether-addicted obstetrician and the proprietor of St. Cloud’s Orphanage, and Homer Wells, an enterprising orphan who eventually takes over Dr. Larch’s profession as St. Cloud’s abortionist. The setting was revisited in Irving’s 2025 novel Queen Esther.
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