Lincoln in the Bardo

Title	Lincoln in the Bardo
Author	George Saunders
Location	1st Floor McNaughton
Rating	Recommended
Book Review	The image at the heart of Saunders' concept hooked me: Lincoln, mired in grief after the death of his son, Willie, riding alone in the wee hours of the morning to visit Willie's crypt, where the president would hold his son and talk with him. Saunders builds on the historical truth of this moment to conjure an ongoing conversation among cemetery "residents" waiting to pass from among the living to the afterlife. The novel toggles between historical passages about Lincoln and dialog among those in the Bardo -- the waiting. It's sometimes fantastical, sometimes grim, often gripping and even chilling as those from the upper crust mingle with slaves, slaveholders, abolitionists, criminals, etc. I'm glad I took the journey.
Submitted By	Dennis Arp
Department or Major	Strategic Marketing and Communications
Status	Staff
Chapman Email	arp@chapman.edu