The Immortalists – Chloe Benjamin

What would you do if you knew when you’d die?

I often say that I wish I could have a crystal ball for my life. (I’ve even said that in other reviews.) I don’t do well with uncertainty; I hate being unprepared, surprised, caught off-guard; I refuse to relinquish control easily (or at all). Decisions are hard for me because I internalize the potential enormity of even the smallest choices, which also means I’m selectively superstitious. (Good luck watching an Islanders game with me.) I’d love nothing more than to receive a road map for the rest of my life.

But to know the exact date I’ll die? That is a bridge too far – even for me.

I remember that the series finale of Scrubs dealt with something parallel but not quite the same: do you decide to find out if you’re afflicted with a disease that will kill you in a death you can’t prevent? What does that information do for you? Will it make you fearless, force you to confront truths, encourage you to take risks? Or will it debilitate you as you look over your shoulder waiting for this thing to get you?

It’s hard to know how any of us would react, even with the known inevitability of death.

This idea is one of the questions at the center of The Immortalists. In the first chapter, four siblings visit a psychic and find out the exact dates of their deaths. The rest of the book is told from multiple perspectives, with each sibling taking a turn telling his or her story. Though they visited this psychic as young children, the reader watches the full lives of the siblings sprawl out over decades.

It’s a beautiful and haunting story. Upon reflection, I realized that the book outlined virtually every possible outcome of knowing this information. You’ll sympathize with characters’ regrets and find yourself frustrated with their actions and maybe your heart will crack open a little for the people who are on the fringe of the story, because the reader perspective allows you understand things that they don’t. You’ll probably become attached to the characters – you’ll care what happens to them and why.

This was a pick for a book club session I didn’t get the chance to attend, so I missed a broader discussion, but I’m grateful for the recommendation. This book left me with more questions than answers – including the hard ones above that will perhaps never have an answer.

You’ll like this if: you want to see a family story play out over generations from multiple vantage points, with more to learn at every turn. It’s going to make you think and consider – and who knows, maybe encourage you to live your life a little differently.

Happy reading!