The Immortalists

By: Chloe Benjamin

Narrated by: Maggie Hoffman

A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: Washington Post • NPR • Entertainment Weekly • Real Simple • Marie Claire • New York Public Library • LibraryReads • The Skimm • Lit Hub • Lit Reactor

AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

“A captivating family saga.”—The New York Times Book Review

“This literary family saga is perfect for fans of Celeste Ng and Donna Tartt.”—People Magazine (Book of the Week)

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 prophecies inform their next five decades. Golden-boy Simon escapes to the West Coast, searching for love in '80s San Francisco; dreamy Klara becomes a Las Vegas magician, obsessed with blurring reality and fantasy; eldest son Daniel seeks security as an army doctor post-9/11; and bookish Varya throws herself into longevity research, where she tests the boundary between science and immortality.

A sweeping novel of remarkable ambition and depth, The Immortalists probes the line between destiny and choice, reality and illusion, this world and the next. It is a deeply moving testament to the power of story, the nature of belief, and the unrelenting pull of familial bonds.

Great story, a little slow in the beginning

Overall the story & narrator are great. This was a little slow in the beginning and I had to restart it twice but once you stick with it, it picks up speed. I’d definitely recommend to a friend and it was a great listen while at work!

Decent Story

The narrator was great. The story faded in and out for me but I love the novel's themes.

Good but depressing

The writing is beautiful, beware that this book is incredibly sad. The last 8 minutes try and make up for the sad tone of the entire book before it, but it doesn't really work. It is very, very depressing. Almost nothing good happens to any of the kids. I would not recommend it because of this.

Interesting story

This was a book group pick and created interesting conversation about fate or does knowing your future change the course of your life?

Definitely worth the read

This novel is well written and keeps one reading well into the night. Great detail of the times .