Lincoln's son stuck in the life after death.

July 9th, 2026. 11:22pm.

In February 1862, during the American Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln's 11-year-old son, Willie, dies of typhoid fever. His spirit becomes trapped in the "Bardo"—a Tibetan Buddhist concept of the intermediate space between death and rebirth.

Trapped alongside other lingering ghosts who refuse to accept their passing, Willie must confront his fate as his grieving father visits the crypt to hold him.

The narrative is told through a chorus of 166 ghostly voices, who debate life, love, and death while referring to their tombs as "sick-boxes".

The novel alternates between these chaotic ghost monologues and a jigsaw of real and fictionalized historical documents. These documents detail public reactions to Lincoln's presidency and the mounting casualties of the Civil War.

The primary action unfolds over a single evening:The Ghosts: The cemetery is populated by restless souls such as Hans Vollman, who died before consummating his marriage, and Roger Bevins III, who committed suicide after a breakup. They linger in denial of their deaths.Willie's Arrival: When Willie's spirit arrives, the ghosts realize that children cannot linger in the Bardo without suffering in the limbo of the spirit realm. They band together to help him cross over.

Lincoln's Grief: Distraught by his son's death and the political pressures of the Civil War, Lincoln visits the crypt at night. When he embraces Willie's spirit, the intense love and shared grief trigger a profound transformation.

The Climax: Touched by Lincoln's sorrow and determined to protect him, the ghosts eventually decide to leave their gravesites, ultimately helping Willie make the transition to the afterlife.

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