Would you want to know the day you're going to die?
The Gold siblings learn about the fortune teller on Hester Street in the summer of 1969. All 4 of them gathered up their allowances and savings to learn the day they are going to die. The idea is initiated by the second oldest, Daniel, and he leads them through New York City's Lower East Side toward the mystical woman's apartment. Once they have each been inside and consulted with the rishika, the feelings range from distraught to stony. For the next 50 years and the rest of the book, we learn the fate of the Gold siblings one at a time and whether the fortune teller was right. Or will the Gold siblings make choices based on the prophesy they were each given?
"And what if I change?" It seems impossible that Varya's future is already inside her like an actress just offstage waiting decades to leave the wings.
"Then you'd be special. 'Cause most people don't."
pg. 16
The aspect that stuck with me so fiercely throughout the novel was the connection the Golds had with each other. Even during times where they aren't as close they used to be or would like to be, Benjamin tells us through the characters' thoughts that they still think of each other often and long for their company. She describes the pain they feel because of their separation.
Unfortunately, this kind of connection is something that is hard to understand if you don't have siblings. This relationship is different from any other in the world. You are eternally connected as family. Your siblings are the only people who will be with you from birth to grave. Your childhood experiences can affect you through the rest of your life and consequently, your siblings are sometimes the only people who you feel every truly understand you. In the case of the Golds, this is true in that they experienced their trip to the fortune teller together and no one else understands the affect this has on their future decisions. Even within the siblings, certain characters band together based on the similarities in their fortunes. The lucky ones cannot understand why the ones who aren't as lucky make decisions with an attitude that screams "What do I have to lose?" This sibling connection is evident in each story through the rest of the novel and it made me long for my own siblings by the time I was finished reading.
There's a small level of fantasy or magical realism in this novel but not enough, in my opinion, to label this a fantasy novel. It's just enough to make you even wonder if it's really there. Is the fortune teller real? Does magic really exist? Or is it all coincidence and slight of hand? Benjamin never really gives you a definitive answer and I love that we get to decide for ourselves.
You get sucked into each character's mind during their part of the novel and can't put the novel down until that part is finished. The stories start off so intense and become more calm as you go. The less exciting lives brings down the feelings of uncertainty that novels can end with sometimes. I know some people said they wished they felt like the exciting stories were stronger than the others, but the order they were told left me feeling satisfied by the end.
Mainly, the four stories remind you that the length of your life does not equal quality. This is the idea that I think Benjamin is trying to get across in her novel and she does it well. The Golds have been given the date of their death and live their lives accordingly, whether consciously or unconsciously. You see the difference in their joy and the level of responsibility they take for others and in their own lives.
If you could, would you learn the date of your death? Do you try to live your life to the fullest like this could be your last day on earth? It's an idea that you will be thinking about for a while after you finish.
"And what if I change?" It seems impossible that Varya's future is already inside her like an actress just offstage waiting decades to leave the wings.
"Then you'd be special. 'Cause most people don't."
pg. 16
The aspect that stuck with me so fiercely throughout the novel was the connection the Golds had with each other. Even during times where they aren't as close they used to be or would like to be, Benjamin tells us through the characters' thoughts that they still think of each other often and long for their company. She describes the pain they feel because of their separation.
Unfortunately, this kind of connection is something that is hard to understand if you don't have siblings. This relationship is different from any other in the world. You are eternally connected as family. Your siblings are the only people who will be with you from birth to grave. Your childhood experiences can affect you through the rest of your life and consequently, your siblings are sometimes the only people who you feel every truly understand you. In the case of the Golds, this is true in that they experienced their trip to the fortune teller together and no one else understands the affect this has on their future decisions. Even within the siblings, certain characters band together based on the similarities in their fortunes. The lucky ones cannot understand why the ones who aren't as lucky make decisions with an attitude that screams "What do I have to lose?" This sibling connection is evident in each story through the rest of the novel and it made me long for my own siblings by the time I was finished reading.
There's a small level of fantasy or magical realism in this novel but not enough, in my opinion, to label this a fantasy novel. It's just enough to make you even wonder if it's really there. Is the fortune teller real? Does magic really exist? Or is it all coincidence and slight of hand? Benjamin never really gives you a definitive answer and I love that we get to decide for ourselves.
You get sucked into each character's mind during their part of the novel and can't put the novel down until that part is finished. The stories start off so intense and become more calm as you go. The less exciting lives brings down the feelings of uncertainty that novels can end with sometimes. I know some people said they wished they felt like the exciting stories were stronger than the others, but the order they were told left me feeling satisfied by the end.
Mainly, the four stories remind you that the length of your life does not equal quality. This is the idea that I think Benjamin is trying to get across in her novel and she does it well. The Golds have been given the date of their death and live their lives accordingly, whether consciously or unconsciously. You see the difference in their joy and the level of responsibility they take for others and in their own lives.
If you could, would you learn the date of your death? Do you try to live your life to the fullest like this could be your last day on earth? It's an idea that you will be thinking about for a while after you finish.