Set against the backdrop of the Civil War, 'Lincoln in the Bardo' navigates a transformative night when President Abraham Lincoln, stricken by grief, visits the crypt holding his eleven-year-old son Willie's body. The young boy finds himself in the bardo, a Tibetan purgatory of sorts, where a spectrum of spirits linger in various states of unrest, unaware of their own demise. As Lincoln grapples with his sorrow, the spirits in the bardo are roused into a vivid struggle over the soul of the innocent Willie. Saunders weaves a poignant tale rich with humor, history, and otherworldly voices, drawing the reader into a heart-rending exploration of love, loss, and the human condition.