The stories a nation tells itself are crucial to its identity, to who wields its power and, ultimately, where it is headed. Thus, we continue to debate the meaning of the Vietnam War, the appropriate way to display the Enola Gay, and the content of our children’s history textbooks.
But what if, as Peter Dimock contends, “Americans lack a language adequate to the history we are now living”? His new book, “George Anderson: Notes for a Love Song in Imperial Time,” is the most important novel I have read about the deep implications of the events of the past decade and how we must learn to discuss them.
