George Saunders’ 2017 novel begins in February 1862, when the Civil War is raging and the nation has begun to realize it is in for a long, bloody struggle. Meanwhile, President Lincoln’s beloved eleven-year-old son, Willie, has succumbed to illness, and finds himself in a strange purgatory where ghosts mingle, gripe, commiserate, quarrel, and enact bizarre acts of penance. Within this transitional state—called, in the Tibetan tradition, the bardo—a monumental struggle erupts over young Willie’s soul. Copies of the book may be picked up at the library’s front desk.
Where: North End Branch Library
When: Wednesday, June 20 at 6:30 – 7:30 p.m.
