Reeling from the death of his invalid mother, a professor comes to the nation's capital to recuperate from his loss. What he finds there--in his lonely landlord, in the city's mood and architecture, and in the journals of Mary Todd Lincoln--shows him poignant truths about America, yearning, and mourning itself.
Now in paperback, the universally acclaimed novel about loss and yearning

Reeling from the recent death of his invalid mother, an exhausted, lonely professor comes to our nation's capital to escape his previous life. What he finds there--in his handsome, solitary landlord; in the city's somber mood and sepulchral architecture; and in the strange and impassioned journals of Mary Todd Lincoln--shows him unexpected truths about America and loss.