Inventing an exhilarating new form, Saunders confirms his status as one of the most important and influential writers of his generation. Unfolding over a single night, Lincoln in the Bardo is written with George Saunders' inimitable humour, pathos and grace. Willie Lincoln finds himself trapped in a transitional realm - called, in Tibetan tradition, the bardo - and as ghosts mingle, squabble, gripe and commiserate, and stony tendrils creep towards the boy, a monumental struggle erupts over young Willie's soul.
Newspapers report that a grief-stricken Lincoln returns to the crypt several times alone to hold his boy's body.įrom this seed of historical truth, George Saunders spins an unforgettable story of familial love and loss that breaks free of realism, entering a thrilling, supernatural domain: electric, hilarious and terrifying. In a matter of days, Willie dies and is laid to rest in a Georgetown cemetery. President Lincoln's beloved eleven-year-old son lies gravely ill. Read a Waterstones exclusive article on the historical context to Lincoln in the Bardo, with recommended further reading about the American Civil WarĪt the dawn of the Civil War Abraham Lincoln nurses a very private grief. Shortlisted for the Waterstones Book of the Year 2017
Shortlisted for the Golden Man Booker 2018
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