Meet Alice McDermott, prolific novelist, Professor of Humanities at Johns Hopkins University, and winner of the National Book Award for Charming Billy, in conversation with Anna Katsavos as they discuss McDermott's ninth and latest novel, Absolution (2023). This New York Times bestseller recounts the fictional interior lives of two American corporate wives, unencumbered by the virtue of humility, living in Saigon in the years before the Vietnam War, and the legacy of their charitable attempts to "do good" for the Vietnamese. Sixty years later, as one of the two wives reconnects with the daughter of the other, the shared memories yield a reckoning about the wives' altruistic efforts that parallel the unintended consequences of America's involvement in Southeast Asia's political landscape. McDermott's ninth novel contains pithy observations and a Barbie doll-centric plot device as it captures in absorbing detail the folly of the expat socialite lifestyle and white savior complex. Time will be reserved for audience Q&A. Pair this course with the in-person book discussion led by Lori Rotskoff (Course 12515) on Wednesday, 3/27, or the online book discussion led by Anna Katsavos (Course 12580) on Tuesday, 5/28, also in the schedule. Separate registration is required.
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