Book Club: March 2, 2025, 2-4pm, – Fellows and External Fellows – Zoom only event

March 2, 2026, 2-4 pm – Fellows and External Fellows

Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders (2017)

Discussion Leader: Lisa Steele

The “bardo” is a Tibetan Buddhist concept referring to an intermediate state between death and rebirth. Set in 1862, the early years of the American Civil War, the novel opens with President Abraham Lincoln and his wife Mary Todd Lincoln about to host a fancy state dinner while their 11-year-old son Willie is lying upstairs deathly ill with typhoid fever. It is Willie’s eventual death that propels Lincoln to enter the “bardo” when he visits the crypt containing his son’s body several times. Here, he is surrounded by spirits, not only of Willie but of a number of other souls who have not yet admitted that they are, in fact, dead. Themes of grief – Lincoln’s own almost debilitating experience over the loss of his son – and mortality – from his personal experience to a more universal consideration of an afterlife permeate the novel. Here, the spirits speak, debate, declare, weep and laugh until finally, led by a courageous Willie, each embraces his death and is released from the bardo and Lincoln himself is able to return to the very real job of shepherding America through its most difficult time in history. (Available in all formats; 368 pages.)

All are encouraged to try the audio version of this book on Audible, the chorus of voices that speak throughout – including the always entertaining David Sedaris – create a wonderfully dense experience of the spirit world that Saunders offers. And as a special treat, listen for a very evocative sound effect as a spirit exits the Bardo.

The link to register is https://forms.office.com/r/8rkwMNVru2

The deadline to register is the Monday morning the day of the event at 8 am. The Zoom link will be sent to registrants only.

If you have any questions, please contact the organizer, Mary Jane Ashley at maryjane.ashley@utoronto.ca.