Absolution by Alice McDermott Summary, Characters and Themes

Absolution by Alice McDermott, published in 2023, is a compelling novel that explores friendship, memory, and moral complexity set against the backdrop of 1960s Vietnam. 

The story unfolds through a series of letters, allowing readers to piece together the narrative of Tricia Kelly, an American military wife in Saigon, and her complex relationship with her bold and daring friend Charlene. As the women navigate the dangerous and turbulent times of Vietnam under Ngo Dinh Diem’s regime, the novel raises thought-provoking questions about guilt, generosity, and the lasting impact of choices made in times of conflict.

Summary

The novel begins with Patricia “Tricia” Kelly, an elderly widow, writing a letter to Rainey, the daughter of her late friend Charlene. Rainey had reached out to Tricia seeking details about their time together in Vietnam and, specifically, about a man named Dominic “Dom” Carey. 

Tricia’s memories take her back to 1963, when she was a 23-year-old newlywed who had moved to Saigon with her husband, Peter. He worked for the CIA as an advisor during a tense political period under the oppressive rule of South Vietnam’s president, Ngo Dinh Diem. 

Tricia, shy by nature, struggled to conform to the rigid expectations placed upon American military wives in Saigon.

At a cocktail party, Tricia meets Rainey, a bright young girl proudly showing off her Barbie doll. 

Shortly afterward, Tricia encounters Rainey’s exuberant mother, Charlene, who is quick to bring Tricia into her latest charitable project. Charlene hires Lily, a local seamstress, to create miniature Vietnamese ao dais for Barbies and sells these “Saigon Barbies” at a premium to benefit her humanitarian efforts. 

Her charity work begins small, delivering baskets of gifts to a children’s hospital, but her ambitions grow as she challenges the conventional limits imposed on women during the 1960s.

Charlene’s humanitarian efforts quickly expand into more dangerous and illicit territories. 

With the help of Dom Carey, a compassionate GI, Charlene bypasses Saigon’s curfews and security checkpoints to deliver supplies and aid to isolated areas. Tricia, though initially supportive, starts to feel uncomfortable as Charlene’s schemes become more risky, especially as the violence in Vietnam escalates. 

Still, Tricia continues to join Charlene in visiting local hospitals and orphanages, witnessing the suffering firsthand. 

They even visit a leprosarium, where Lily is joyfully reunited with her cousin. Meanwhile, Tricia endures a series of personal losses as her hopes of becoming a mother are repeatedly dashed by miscarriages.

Charlene’s most daring venture involves arranging unofficial adoptions between Vietnamese mothers and American couples, where she ensures the mothers are compensated. 

When Charlene asks Tricia to bring a baby named Suzie back to America and raise her as her own, Tricia is initially overjoyed at the thought of finally becoming a mother. However, her joy turns to anguish when the other children at the orphanage cry out for Suzie’s return, and Tricia cannot bring herself to keep the child. 

Soon after, Tricia and Peter leave Vietnam, just before Ngo Dinh Diem’s assassination signals a turning point in the country’s history.

In the second half of the novel, Rainey, now an adult with her own family, writes to Tricia again. 

She recalls reconnecting with an older Dom Carey while renovating a house with her husband, Doug. Dom, living with his wife and adopted son Jamie, shares his memories of Charlene and their time in Saigon before his sudden death in an accident. 

The novel ends with Tricia reflecting on her friendship with Charlene, acknowledging the mix of grand generosity and reckless ambition that defined Charlene’s life.

Characters

Tricia Kelly

Tricia Kelly, the narrator of the novel, is a reserved and introspective woman whose experiences as a young military wife in Saigon profoundly shape her life. As a 23-year-old, Tricia is thrust into a foreign and tumultuous environment, where she struggles to navigate the rigid social expectations of her role.

Her natural shyness and desire to conform lead her to develop a close friendship with the vibrant Charlene, who is a stark contrast to Tricia in both personality and worldview. Tricia’s journey is marked by an inner tension between her desire for stability and her awareness of the political chaos and moral complexity surrounding her.

Her longing for motherhood, repeatedly frustrated by miscarriages, reflects her deep yearning for a sense of purpose and fulfillment. Tricia’s interactions with Charlene challenge her understanding of what it means to be a good person and a woman during a time of political and personal upheaval.

As an older woman, Tricia reflects on her time in Saigon with a mixture of nostalgia and regret. Her final decision to return the orphaned child, Suzie, encapsulates her internal struggle between maternal longing and moral responsibility.

Charlene

Charlene is a larger-than-life figure in Tricia’s world, embodying the rebellious and ambitious spirit of a woman who refuses to be confined by the limitations of her time. Her project of creating “Saigon Barbies” reflects both her entrepreneurial zeal and her complex relationship with Vietnamese culture.

Charlene’s character is driven by a fervent desire to make a difference, which she channels into her unorthodox and often ethically dubious charitable endeavors. Her black-market dealings and adoption arrangements suggest a woman who is willing to cross lines for the sake of her ideals, but they also hint at a deeper dissatisfaction with the roles available to her.

Charlene is a bold and dynamic character, but her actions are often reckless. She represents both the possibility of female empowerment and the dangers of unchecked ambition.

Her influence on Tricia is profound, as she forces her friend to grapple with the difficult moral choices presented by their time in Vietnam.

Dominic “Dom” Carey

Dom Carey is a sympathetic and deeply humane character who stands in contrast to many of the other men in the novel. His empathy and willingness to bend the rules for a greater good make him an ideal accomplice for Charlene’s increasingly risky ventures.

As a young GI in Saigon, Dom becomes an integral part of Charlene’s philanthropic activities, using his military connections to help her navigate the dangers of war-torn Vietnam. His kindness and sincerity endear him to both Charlene and Tricia.

Dom’s character takes on even greater significance in the second part of the novel when Rainey encounters him as an elderly man. His sudden death serves as a poignant reminder of the fragility of life and the lasting impact of the choices made during his time in Vietnam.

Rainey

Rainey, the daughter of Charlene, is initially introduced as a child in the Saigon narrative, but her adult voice emerges in the second part of the novel. As a child, Rainey serves as a symbol of innocence, unaware of the complexities of the world around her.

Her playful display of her Barbie doll collection contrasts sharply with the darker themes of war, loss, and moral ambiguity. As an adult, Rainey becomes a bridge between the past and present, seeking answers from Tricia about her mother and Dom.

Rainey’s journey is driven by a desire to understand the people who shaped her childhood, particularly her mother’s larger-than-life persona. Her story is one of reconciliation, as she seeks to make peace with the complexities of the past.

Peter Kelly

Peter Kelly, Tricia’s husband, represents the distant and emotionally unavailable masculinity of the time. His role as a civilian advisor for the CIA keeps him entrenched in the political and military world of Vietnam, leaving his emotional world closed off from Tricia.

Their relationship is marked by a lack of communication and understanding, particularly concerning Tricia’s deep desire for motherhood. Peter’s focus on his career creates a gulf between him and Tricia, exacerbated by their struggles with miscarriage.

In many ways, Peter serves as a foil to characters like Dom, whose emotional openness contrasts with Peter’s reserved nature. While Peter’s life after Vietnam is stable, the unfulfilled dreams of parenthood and intimacy with Tricia linger in the background.

Lily

Lily is a Vietnamese seamstress who becomes deeply involved in Charlene’s charitable projects, serving as both an employee and a symbol of the cultural and social divides between the American wives and the local Vietnamese people. Her creation of the ao dais for the “Saigon Barbies” showcases her skill and willingness to engage in Charlene’s enterprises.

However, her decision to remain at the leprosarium with her cousin speaks to a profound sense of loyalty to her own people. Lily’s journey represents a desire for personal connection and belonging, contrasting with the transactional relationships that characterize Charlene’s ventures.

Themes

The Complexity of Female Friendship Amidst Social Expectations and Gender Roles

In Absolution, the novel explores the intricate dynamics of female friendship within the rigid social framework of 1960s American society, particularly through the relationship between Tricia and Charlene. This theme emphasizes how social expectations and gender roles confine women, leaving them to navigate their identities and ambitions within prescribed norms.

Tricia’s shy, compliant nature contrasts sharply with Charlene’s bold, defiant personality, creating a nuanced depiction of two women struggling to carve out space for their individuality. The military wives in Saigon are expected to maintain a strict adherence to etiquette and subservience, reflecting the larger societal limitations imposed on women during this era.

However, Charlene rebels against these expectations by engaging in charitable activities and black-market dealings, attempting to assert her agency in a world that suppresses women’s ambitions. Tricia, on the other hand, grapples with the tension between her desire to follow social conventions and the allure of Charlene’s rebellious spirit.

Their friendship becomes a reflection of this larger struggle, showing how women, even in companionship, must navigate the tension between societal obedience and personal autonomy.

The Moral Ambiguity of Humanitarianism in a Colonial and War-Torn Landscape

One of the novel’s most significant themes is the moral complexity of humanitarian efforts, particularly in a colonial context. Charlene’s charitable endeavors, such as selling “Saigon Barbies” or arranging private adoptions, raise ethical questions about the motivations and consequences of such actions.

On the surface, Charlene’s work appears to stem from a desire to help those less fortunate, yet her actions are imbued with an air of self-righteousness and a lack of critical reflection. The novel critiques how well-meaning humanitarianism can easily blur into exploitation, as Charlene engages in black-market dealings and places herself, Tricia, and others in dangerous situations.

Furthermore, her adoption scheme, where she facilitates the exchange of Vietnamese infants for money, underscores the uncomfortable intersection of altruism, power, and privilege. This complex portrayal of humanitarian work forces the reader to confront the unsettling reality of well-intentioned yet deeply problematic efforts to “save” people in war-torn and colonized lands.

The narrative questions whether these acts of charity serve the beneficiaries or the egos of the benefactors.

The Intersection of Maternal Longing and Cultural Displacement in a Globalized War Zone

The theme of maternal longing is intricately tied to both Tricia’s personal struggles and the broader context of cultural displacement in the novel. Tricia’s multiple miscarriages and eventual hysterectomy represent her unfulfilled desire for motherhood, a deep emotional scar that shapes her character.

This longing for children intertwines with her experience in Vietnam, a place where cultural and personal displacement loom large. The novel explores how Tricia’s yearning for motherhood finds a temporary outlet in Charlene’s adoption schemes, particularly when Tricia is asked to take baby Suzie.

However, the cultural displacement of the Vietnamese orphans complicates this maternal desire. Tricia’s decision to return Suzie to the other children, unable to separate the infant from her cultural roots, speaks to the novel’s nuanced understanding of the intersections between personal loss and the broader displacement caused by war and colonization.

The children at the orphanage, particularly Suzie, are symbols of the cultural and familial fractures that arise in conflict zones. Tricia’s decision reflects the painful acknowledgment that love and care cannot erase the traumas of war and separation.

The Disillusionment of the American Dream Through the Lens of War and Imperialism

Another central theme in Absolution is the disillusionment of the American Dream, particularly as it manifests in the context of U.S. involvement in Vietnam. Tricia and Peter’s experiences in Saigon reflect a broader critique of American imperialism and the idealized version of American success.

Peter’s work as a CIA civilian advisor and the couple’s participation in the expatriate community highlight the ways in which Americans in Vietnam are sheltered from the violence and suffering that surrounds them. Yet, as the novel progresses, Tricia becomes increasingly aware of the dissonance between the American ideals of freedom and opportunity and the harsh reality of their presence in a war-torn country.

Charlene’s relentless ambition, embodied by her illegal charitable work and risky dealings, mirrors this disillusionment. Her idealism gradually deteriorates as she becomes more entrenched in morally dubious activities.

In this sense, Charlene’s character represents a distorted vision of the American Dream—one in which ambition and charity become corrupted by self-interest and a desire for control. This theme speaks to the broader disillusionment many Americans felt during the Vietnam War, as the gap between national rhetoric and global reality became starkly visible.

The Fragility of Identity in the Face of Trauma and Historical Memory

Finally, Absolution deeply engages with the fragility of personal and collective identity in the aftermath of trauma and war. Both Tricia and Charlene’s experiences in Vietnam leave indelible marks on their sense of self, as they confront the horrors of conflict and the moral uncertainties of their actions.

Tricia’s miscarriages and the hysterectomy that follows further contribute to her sense of loss and displacement, as she is forced to reimagine her identity in the absence of motherhood. Similarly, Charlene’s overwhelming ambition and subsequent death are framed by a sense of unresolved trauma—both personal and historical.

The novel situates these personal narratives within the broader historical memory of the Vietnam War, illustrating how individuals are shaped by the events around them. The dual narrative structure—Tricia’s letter to Rainey and Rainey’s letter in return—creates a dialogue across time, reflecting the enduring impact of memory and trauma on identity.

The characters’ struggles with their roles as women, mothers, and expatriates underscore how war and violence disrupt not only nations but also the personal identities of those caught in their wake.