The Immortalists by Chloe Benjamin
Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons
Release Date: January 9, 2018
Length: 352 pages
Amazon

{A Bit of Backstory}

Single Sentence Summary

On a hot summer day siblings Varya, Daniel, Klara and Simon visit a mysterious fortune teller and their lives are never quite the same again.

From the Publisher

“If you knew the date of your death, how would you live your life?

It’s 1969 in New York City’s Lower East Side, and word has spread of the arrival of a mystical woman, a traveling psychic who claims to be able to tell anyone the day they will die. The Gold children—four adolescents on the cusp of self-awareness—sneak out to hear their fortunes.”

The Draw

• Sibling story spanning five decades.
• That line: “If you knew the date of your death, how would you live your life?”
• Richard Russo endorsement.

{My Thoughts}

What Worked For Me

The Novel’s Structure – Chloe Benjamin opens The Immortalists in 1969 with what seemed a lark, a visit to a fortuneteller. But, when she reveals to each sibling the day he or she will die, the fun is over. Their reactions run the gamut from tears, to anger, to disbelief, to satisfaction. From there her story quickly moves away from the lives of the four as siblings, and into their individual stories. Readers learn the effect of the woman’s words on Varya, Daniel, Klara, and Simon as they move from childhood into their adult lives.

Simon – I saw Simon’s story coming almost as soon as the book began and still I loved it. Even though I knew how it would end, the path Benjamin chose to get him there was original and satisfying.

Klara – In counterpoint, Klara’s story was the most unexpected, plus what’s not to love about a magician? Alternately funny and sad, Klara touched me more than any of the siblings as she struggled to make it in a man’s world while fighting her personal demons.

“Klara can turn a black scarf into a single red rose and an ace into a queen. She can produce dimes from pennies and quarters from dimes and dollars from nothing but air. She can do the Hermann pass, the Thurston throw, the rising-card illusion and the Back Palm. She is an expert in the classic cup-and-ball routine, passed from the Canadian master Dai Vernon to Ilay HLavacek and then to her: a dizzying, dazzling optical illusion in which an empty silver cup is filled with balls and dice and then, finally, one full, perfect lemon.

What she cannot do – what she will never stop trying to do – is bring her brother back.”

Varya – Initially I wasn’t sure about Varya’s story, but the pieces began to meld together into a satisfying conclusion. Varya came last in the book and with her, a clear picture of the love and pain these siblings shared.

What Didn’t

Daniel – For me, Daniel’s story was the weak link. He was the most usual of the siblings. His life progressed on a fairly steady path, so when his story took a rather random turn, I struggled with understanding why. His part of this sibling saga felt forced and weighed down the middle of The Immortalists. Even when Daniel popped up in the storylines of his siblings, his role seemed almost an after thought.

{The Final Assessment}

I’d long been looking forward to reading The Immortalists, so when I finally turned to 2018 books, it was my first. Happily this family story of relationships, life, death, and above all love, did not disappoint. My reading year started out right! Grade: B

If you liked this book you might also enjoy:

• The Rules of Magic by Alice Hoffman – Another sibling saga, but in this all the siblings have magical powers. Real magical powers. (my review)
• Rabbit Cake by Annie Hartnett – In this siblings must learn to stick together after their mother dies and their father is mourning in his own odd ways. (my review)

Note: I received a copy of this book from the publisher (via NetGalley) in exchange for my honest review.

Disclosure: There are Amazon Associate links included within this post.