For Sale: Lincoln in the Bardo. George Saunders. NY: Random House, 2017.

Description

Lincoln in the Bardo is the debut novel by George Saunders, a renowned short story writer known for his sharp satire and experimental style. The novel won the Man Booker Prize in 2017 and is celebrated for its unique narrative structure and emotional depth. It takes place over the course of one night in 1862 at the Oak Hill Cemetery in Washington, D.C., where President Abraham Lincoln mourns the death of his 11-year-old son, Willie Lincoln, who has recently died of typhoid fever. As Lincoln visits his son’s crypt, Willie finds himself trapped in the bardo—a Tibetan Buddhist concept referring to the transitional space between life and the afterlife.

The story is narrated by a chorus of ghosts who also linger in the bardo, reluctant to move on due to their unresolved earthly attachments. Through their fragmented, overlapping voices, we learn about their regrets, desires, and how they come to view Lincoln’s grief as a transformative moment that will shape the fate of the nation.

Here’s a nice signed copy for your shelf. And if you ever get a chance to go to a Saunders reading, don’t miss it.