"Lincoln in the Bardo" by George Saunders - Historical Fiction Book Club - Past Titles

About the Author: George Saunders

George Saunders is an American author known for his distinctive style of storytelling and his exploration of human nature, society, and morality. Born on December 2, 1958, in Amarillo, Texas, Saunders has gained widespread acclaim for his works in fiction, including short stories and novels.

Early Life and Education:

George Saunders grew up in Chicago, Illinois.
He attended the Colorado School of Mines and later studied geophysics at the School of Mines in Golden, Colorado.

Transition to Writing:

While working as a geophysicist in Sumatra, Indonesia, Saunders began to pursue writing seriously.
He returned to the United States and earned an M.A. in creative writing from Syracuse University.

Literary Career:

Saunders is renowned for his unique and experimental narrative style, often blending satire, humor, and poignant observations.
His debut collection of short stories, "CivilWarLand in Bad Decline," was published in 1996 and received critical acclaim for its inventive storytelling.

Notable Works:

"CivilWarLand in Bad Decline" (1996): This debut collection explores dystopian and surreal scenarios, combining humor with social commentary.
"Pastoralia" (2000): Another collection of short stories, "Pastoralia" continues Saunders's exploration of contemporary life, consumerism, and societal issues.
"The Brief and Frightening Reign of Phil" (2005): A novella that satirizes political and social dynamics.
"In Persuasion Nation" (2006): Another collection of short stories that delves into the absurdities of modern life.
"Tenth of December" (2013): Widely regarded as one of his masterpieces, this collection received numerous awards and nominations, including the Folio Prize and the National Book Award.
"Lincoln in the Bardo" (2017): A novel that combines historical fiction with supernatural elements, focusing on Abraham Lincoln's grief over the death of his son.

Recognition and Awards:

George Saunders has received numerous awards for his contributions to literature, including the Man Booker Prize for "Lincoln in the Bardo" in 2017.

Teaching:

Saunders is also known for his role as a professor of creative writing. He has taught at Syracuse University and has been influential in shaping the careers of aspiring writers.

Personal Life:

Saunders resides in California with his family.

George Saunders's works have resonated with readers and critics alike for their inventive narratives, keen observations, and exploration of the human condition. His ability to blend humor with thought-provoking insights has established him as a significant voice in contemporary American literature.

Synopsis

February 1862. The Civil War is less than one year old. The fighting has begun in earnest, 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, lies upstairs in the White House, gravely ill. In a matter of days, despite predictions of a recovery, Willie dies and is laid to rest in a Georgetown cemetery. "My poor boy, he was too good for this earth," the president says at the time. "God has called him home." Newspapers report that a grief-stricken Lincoln returns, alone, to the crypt several times to hold his boy's body. From that seed of historical truth, George Saunders spins an unforgettable story of familial love and loss that breaks free of its realistic, historical framework into a supernatural realm both hilarious and terrifying.

Willie Lincoln 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. 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 daring, generous in spirit, deeply concerned with matters of the heart, it is a testament to fiction's ability to speak honestly and powerfully to the things that really matter to us. Saunders has invented a thrilling new form that deploys a kaleidoscopic, theatrical panorama of voices to ask a timeless, profound question: How do we live and love when we know that everything we love must end?

Historical Timeline

The year 1862 was a significant period in history, marked by events across various regions and aspects of life. Here is a historical timeline of key events that occurred in 1862:

January:

January 30: The U.S. Navy's first ironclad warship, the USS Monitor, is launched.

February:

February 6: The Battle of Fort Henry takes place during the American Civil War, resulting in a Union victory.
February 16: The Confederate ironclad CSS Virginia (formerly USS Merrimack) engages with the USS Monitor in the Battle of Hampton Roads, marking the first meeting in combat of ironclad warships.

March:

March 8-9: The Battle of Hampton Roads concludes with no clear victory, but it marks the beginning of a new era in naval warfare with ironclad ships.
March 23: The First Battle of Kernstown, a Civil War engagement, takes place in Virginia.

April:

April 5-6: The Battle of Shiloh occurs in Tennessee during the Civil War, resulting in significant casualties on both sides.
April 9: The Battle of Fort Pulaski concludes with a Union victory during the Civil War.

May:

May 20: President Abraham Lincoln signs the Homestead Act into law, providing 160 acres of public land to settlers for a small fee, provided they improve the land by building a dwelling and cultivating crops.
May 25-July 1: The Peninsula Campaign takes place during the Civil War, with Union forces attempting to capture Richmond, Virginia.

June:

June 1: The Battle of Fair Oaks (Seven Pines) concludes with inconclusive results during the Peninsula Campaign.
June 6-7: Union General McClellan's forces retreat after the Battle of Seven Pines, effectively ending the Peninsula Campaign.
June 19: The U.S. Congress prohibits slavery in the territories with the passage of the Homestead Act.

July:

July 1-3: The Battle of Malvern Hill is fought during the Civil War, marking the final battle of the Peninsula Campaign.
July 2: President Abraham Lincoln signs the Pacific Railway Act, facilitating the construction of the First Transcontinental Railroad.

September:

September 17: The Battle of Antietam (Sharpsburg) takes place in Maryland during the Civil War, resulting in the bloodiest single-day battle in American history.

October:

October 8: The Battle of Perryville is fought in Kentucky during the Civil War.
October 31: The British and French governments issue the Joint Intervention Statement, declaring their neutrality in the American Civil War.

December:

December 13: The Battle of Fredericksburg occurs in Virginia during the Civil War, resulting in a Confederate victory.
December 31: President Abraham Lincoln signs the Emancipation Proclamation, declaring slaves in Confederate-held territory to be free.

This timeline provides an overview of some of the key events that occurred in 1862, covering the American Civil War, legislative actions, and other notable occurrences.

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A Passage North by Anuk Arudpragasam
Call Number: FICTION Arudpragasam
A Passage North begins with a message from out of the blue: a telephone call informing Krishan that his grandmother's caretaker, Rani, has died under unexpected circumstances--found at the bottom of a well in her village in the north, her neck broken by the fall. The news arrives on the heels of an email from Anjum, an impassioned yet aloof activist Krishnan fell in love with years before while living in Delhi, stirring old memories and desires from a world he left behind. As Krishan makes the long journey by train from Colombo into the war-torn Northern Province for Rani's funeral, so begins an astonishing passage into the innermost reaches of a country. At once a powerful meditation on absence and longing, as well as an unsparing account of the legacy of Sri Lanka's thirty-year civil war, this procession to a pyre "at the end of the earth" lays bare the imprints of an island's past, the unattainable distances between who we are and what we seek. Written with precision and grace, Anuk Arudpragasam's masterful novel is an attempt to come to terms with life in the wake of devastation, and a poignant memorial for those lost and those still living.
Death of an Ordinary Man by Glen Duncan
Call Number: FICTION Duncan
Now with Death of an Ordinary Man, Duncan continues his penetrating and innovative exploration of the supernatural with a novel that is far and away his most powerful and accomplished yet. Nathan Clark's gravestone offers a short and hopeful summary: At rest. But Nathan is not at rest, and knows he won't be until he finds out why he died. How has he come to hover over his own funeral, a spectral spectator to the grief of his family and friends? Privy now to their innermost thoughts and feelings-- confessions that are raw, brutal, and unexpected-- Nathan spends the day of his wake getting to know the living as he has never known them before.
The Druggist of Auschwitz by Dieter Schlesak; John Hargraves (Translator)
Call Number: FICTION Schlesak
Adam, known as "the last Jew of Schaburg," recounts with disturbing clarity his imprisonment at the infamous Auschwitz concentration camp. Through Adam's fictional narrative and excerpts of actual testimony from the Frankfurt Auschwitz Trial of 1963-65, we come to learn of the true-life story of Dr. Victor Capesius, who, despite strong friendships with Jews before the war, quickly aided in and profited from their tragedy once the Nazis came to power. Interspersed with historical research and the author's face-to-face interviews with survivors, the novel follows Capesius from his assignment as the "sorter" of new arrivals at Auschwitz--deciding who will go directly to the gas chamber and who will be used for labor--through his life of lavish wealth after the war to his arrest and eventual trial.