Absolution, by Alice McDermott, is one of those novel’s that I finish still trying to put the pieces together. I think this is because it was a story told as a series of reflections, rather than a linear narrative. It is also a story about relationships – primarily between friends (one dominant, one unsure of herself); and between a mother and her daughter. And yet, the character around whom the entire novel is written never has her voice heard.
The story’s two main characters are Tricia and Charlene, who meet as the wives of men working for the US government in Vietnam in the early 1960s. The first part of the novel is a series of memories written by Tricia to Charlene’s daughter, Rainey, many years after the war, and after Charlene’s death. The second part is Rainey’s reflections written back to Tricia, and the final section is Tricia’s voice once again. Since the novel is written as reflections, rather than in the present tense, layers of insight and self-understanding are added to the telling that would not have been possible if told as the events unfolded. And perhaps most powerfully, as noted above, Charlene, the character about whom both Tricia and Rainey speak, always feels at a distance from the reader and a little bit unknown, since her voice is never heard directly. We never know the ‘real’ Charlene – only the powerful personality mediated through the two narrators.
The frame for the novel is the experience of these women in the early years of the Vietnam war, as white, privileged Americans living there, but for whom the war was at some distance. At some points, the ‘stage’ of Vietnam makes its way into the story line. But far more often it seeped into the background, with the relationships between the characters taking center stage. This is ultimately a book about people for whom a particular place and moment in time was vital and impactful. Yet the story is about their lives, at the time and after, much more than the experiences of the Vietnam war that I’ve been accustomed to in such period pieces.
McDermott is an excellent writer. The language flows smoothly and is never overdone. She structured the novel thoughtfully and to great effect. The characters, especially Charlene, were sensitive and deeply drawn. It’s a subtle read whose power builds, and left me with a strong sense of the need to live life deeply and honestly.
Just Because I Liked It:
- I enjoyed this interview on the Knowledge Podcast with Hubdocs founder, Brian Halligan. It is honest and thoughtful, with a lot of useful ideas for those in leadership roles.