With her ninth novel, National Book Award winner Alice McDermott attempts to understand the role that the wives of American soldiers played in the Vietnam War. The book begins in 1963 Saigon, with Tricia, a shy newlywed, whose lawyer husband is working for Navy intelligence as a “civilian advisor.” She soon finds herself forming an unlikely alliance with Charlene, a seasoned military wife and mother of three, who shows her how to support her husband without being subservient. Tricia struggles to find her own purpose until she and Charlene begin “helping” the people of Vietnam. It’s not until 60 years later, when Tricia is contacted by someone from her past, that she begins to question her own culpability in the conflict. Absolution is a moving story about the obligation, sacrifice, and regret that comes with living on the periphery of history. —Shannon Carlin
Buy Now: Absolution on Bookshop | Amazon
Looking for more book recommendations? Sign up for Worth Your Time
- L.A. Fires Show Reality of 1.5°C of Warming
- How Canada Fell Out of Love With Trudeau
- Trump Is Treating the Globe Like a Monopoly Board
- Bad Bunny On Heartbreak and New Album
- 10 Boundaries Therapists Want You to Set in the New Year
- The Motivational Trick That Makes You Exercise Harder
- Nicole Kidman Is a Pure Pleasure to Watch in Babygirl
- Column: Jimmy Carter’s Global Legacy Was Moral Clarity
