ABSOLUTION

by Alice McDermott

Absolution is another novel I heard highly recommended by an author in a podcast. Published in 2023, perhaps you missed this gem like I did. It turns out I had read one previous book by McDermott, Charming Billy published in 1998. And, I am so taken with her writing after Absolution, I plan to binge her other seven novels.

Set in Saigon in the early 1960s, Absolution paints a cinematic picture of what life was like for the wives of the officers and engineers who were stationed there. Told in the first person, Patricia describes how these wives proudly regarded themselves as their husbands’ “helpmeets.” Their days were filled with luncheons, charity events and shopping. Patricia never thought to question her lifestyle until she was befriended by Charlene, another officer’s wife. Charlene is a force of nature: attractive, assertive and full of life. Patricia gets sucked into her orbit, like a moon to its planet. McDermott’s achingly beautiful descriptions of Patricia’s complete submission to Charlene and her schemes are cleverly set against scenes of a similar relationship Patricia had with another friend back when she was in college.  

Absolution explores an aspect of the Viet Nam War that hasn’t been novelized very often before. Similar to The Women by Kristen Hannah, it is eye-opening to experience the War from a feminine perspective.  Not only is McDermott’s writing poignant and compelling, but she develops the story through a heartfelt correspondence between Patricia and Charlene’s daughter, Rainey, years after the women have returned to the U.S. and their “normal” lives.  I recommend Absolution wholeheartedly.  I promise, you’ll join me in the Alice McDermott fan club. (Liz)