The American Civil War rages while President Lincoln's beloved 11-year-old son lies gravely ill. In a matter of days, Willie dies and is laid to rest in a Georgetown cemetery. Newspapers report thet a grief-stricken Lincoln returns to the crypt several times to hold his boy's body. From this seed of historical truth, George Saunders spins an unforgettable story of familial love and loss, as Willie Lincoln finds himself trapped in a transitional realm where ghosts mingle and squabble, and a monumental struggle erupts over his soul.