Books and Brunch to Discuss "Lincoln in the Bardo" at Saturday, May 19 meeting

The National Press Club's Books and Brunch series will discuss "Lincoln in the Bardo" by George Saunders at noon Saturday, May 19, in The Fourth Estate restaurant.

Saunder's won the 2017 Man Booker Prize for this novel, becoming the second American to win this award.

It is a combination of film script and Lincoln-focused scrapbook, alternating between ghost dialogues and excerpts from Civil War historical accounts. It begins with the death of Abraham Lincoln's son, Willie, and his grief stricken father's visits to the borrowed crypt where Willie is interred at Georgetown's Oak Hill Cemetery.

It depicts a ferocious and sometimes comic struggle over Willie's spirit while he is in the Bardo, the Tibetan Buddhist transition from death to rebirth, during which one's next life is up for grabs.

Books and Brunch is open to all Club members and their guests. Lunch may be ordered off the restaurant's menu. It is not mandatory to read the book. There's always plenty to learn from hearing the discussion.

If you are able to attend, please contact Fay Iudicello at [email protected] or call her at (703) 989-4503 by noon on Thursday, May 17. We want to ensure adequate seating and service for all attendees.