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"Lincoln in the Bardo" by George Saunders

While you’ve probably heard of Abraham Lincoln, the 16^th U.S. President and the spokesman of the penny, you may not be as familiar with his son, Willie Lincoln. Willie was thought to be Lincoln’s favorite child but tragically died at age eleven.  

This sorrowful tale does not sound like the material that would come to make a fictional story, but author George Saunders takes a completely new perspective on the sad tale of Willie Lincoln in “Lincoln in the Bardo” (2017). 

This is a work of historical fiction that also blends in elements of the supernatural. It is told from the perspectives of various spirits that the ghost of Willie encounters, but Saunders lays the ground for his work with massive amounts of research. Between chapters of narrative are segments of research from various sources. 

This approach is about more than proving the factual material of the story. It also provides the equally somber tone of true mourning to match the dramatized distress.  

The story itself has little to do with the events of the Civil War, which was ongoing at the time of Willie’s death, but this additional research allows readers to broaden their understanding of this trying time for the Lincoln family without taking away from the focused story of Willie. 

As this work already follows an entirely different setup from traditional fiction novels, it stands to reason that the narrative structure would also have a distinct style.  

Upon opening this book, you will find there are no quotation marks to denote speakers, nor is there the average he-did-this, she-said-that format. Rather, each perspective is opened with a character describing the events and speech around them, followed by their name. 

The writing is an interesting take on setting up a novel to mimic cemetery headstones, but it can create some confusion, especially when one first begins reading. Further complicating this situation is the vast array of characters that make up this tale.

Perspectives are included from Willie and President Lincoln, as well as the many spirits that Willie encounters. 

The primary setting of the work is in the “bardo,” which is a part of Buddhist spiritual practices that explores the place souls linger in after death but before rebirth. The bardo concept can also be applied to waiting periods in life, like the time after high school but before starting college. 

Rating: 9/10

As you read, you may notice all of the spirits are trapped in a physical and mental bardo. Not only are they waiting for whatever comes next in the spiritual realm, but they have other things to wait for, like visits from family, the return of lovers and the end of battles. The layered meaning behind bardos as transitions and as a spiritual place underscores this novel’s theme of waiting for what is to come. 

Overall, “Lincoln in the Bardo” is a complex novel that explores the fictional possibilities behind a real tragedy. Despite its complicated formatting issues, I would rate this book a 9 out of 10 based on its creativity and depth.