Vigil, by George Saunders, reads like the return of a familiar friend. Its narrative structure and plot devices closely resemble his Booker Prize winning Lincoln in the Bardo; however, while Lincoln is populated by the already deceased, Vigil explores the final hours and potential regrets of the dying.
The narrative centers on Jill “Doll” Blaine, a spirit guide whose current charge is K.J. Boone, a wealthy oil tycoon. As Boone lies on his deathbed, he is visited by a series of Scrooge-like ghosts—including a repentant French inventor and a man from a drought-ravaged village—who demand a reckoning for the environmental deceit and corporate greed that defined his career.
Jill, whose own life was cut tragically short by a car bomb in 1976 defends Boone’s life as a series of “inevitable occurrences,” a phrase she uses to offer comfort. In doing so, flipping the anger and frustration she might have felt over her own unpunished death.
While Vigil may not reach the same soaring heights as Lincoln in the Bardo, it is a fantastic, thought-provoking work. Saunders’ blend of humor and imagination makes this a must-read for 2026.