As the Civil War rages President Lincoln grieves for his young son, Willie, and visits the crypt. His grief and their mutual love trap Willie in the bardo* where we meet a veritable cast of 'ghosts'. I appreciated Saunders' creativity, humour and found it very moving in places. However, I did not thoroughly enjoy the book. The style felt mostly like a script and perhaps unusually an audio version would have resonated better with me.
*Bardo is a transitional realm in Tibetan culture rather like purgatory.
(Christine Miller - bwl 100 Spring 2021 ) |
