This study group will be a weekly discussion of contemporary literature about the American Civil War. We will read 4 novels, each grappling with the legacy of the conflict from different angles. Our discussions of the novels will include the significant historical events included in the books, the problems and promises of their portrayals of the Civil War, and the contemporary importance of the war.

We will read The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead, Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders, The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissolm, and American War by Omar El Akkad.

This study group for those 50 and over will meet on Mondays, 3-5, from October 8 – November 12. Instructor Emelia Abbe is a Ph.D. candidate in U of M’s Department of English.