Lincoln in the Bardo

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER ΓÇó WINNER OF THE MAN BOOKER PRIZE The ΓÇ£devastatingly movingΓÇ¥ (People) first novel from the author of Tenth of December: a moving and original father-son story featuring none other than Abraham Lincoln,as well as an unforgettable cast of supporting charactersliving and deadhistorical and invented Named One of PasteΓÇÖs Best Novels of the Decade ΓÇó Named One of the Ten Best Books of the Year by The Washington PostUSA Todayand Maureen CorriganNPR ΓÇó One of TimeΓÇÖs Ten Best Novels of the Year ΓÇó A New York Times Notable Book ΓÇó One of O: The Oprah MagazineΓÇÖs Best Books of the Year February 1862. The Civil War is less than one year old. The fighting has begun in earnestand the nation has begun to realize it is in for a longbloody struggle. MeanwhilePresident LincolnΓÇÖs beloved eleven-year-old sonWillielies upstairs in the White Housegravely ill. In a matter of daysdespite predictions of a recoveryWillie dies and is laid to rest in a Georgetown cemetery. ΓÇ£My poor boyhe was too good for this earthΓÇ¥ the president says at the time. ΓÇ£God has called him home.ΓÇ¥ Newspapers report that a grief-stricken Lincoln returnsaloneto the crypt several times to hold his boyΓÇÖs body. From that seed of historical truthGeorge Saunders spins an unforgettable story of familial love and loss that breaks free of its realistichistorical framework into a supernatural realm both hilarious and terrifying. Willie Lincoln finds himself in a strange purgatory where ghosts minglegripecommiseratequarreland enact bizarre acts of penance. Within this transitional stateΓÇöcalledin the Tibetan traditionthe bardoΓÇöa monumental struggle erupts over young WillieΓÇÖs soul. Lincoln in the Bardo is an astonishing feat of imagination and a bold step forward from one of the most important and influential writers of his generation. Formally daringgenerous in spiritdeeply concerned with matters of the heartit is a testament to fictionΓÇÖs ability to speak honestly and powerfully to the things that really matter to us. Saunders has invented a thrilling new form that deploys a kaleidoscopictheatrical panorama of voices to ask a timelessprofound question: How do we live and love when we know that everything we love must end? ΓÇ£A luminous feat of generosity and humanism.ΓÇ¥ΓÇöColson WhiteheadThe New York Times Book Review ΓÇ£A masterpiece.ΓÇ¥ΓÇöZadie Smith