Originally from San Francisco, CA, she currently lives with her husband in Madison, WI. What do you imagine happens to Varya after the book ’s ending? How have her views on longevity and death changed?ġ0. Chloe Benjamin is the author of two books, The Immortalists, and The Anatomy of Dreams. Did you believe the fortune teller? What gives the fortune teller her power? What freedoms does uncertainty bring?ĩ. At the end of the novel, Gertie tells Varya about the beauty and freedom in uncertainty, questioning why her children believed the fortune teller. How are their lives affected by the prophecy? How do romantic and familial relationships interact and contrast in The Immortalists?Ĩ. NPRs Lulu Garcia-Navarro speaks with the. The knowledge changes their lives in fundamental ways. Discuss the siblings’ significant others: Raj, Mira, and Robert. The siblings in Chloe Benjamins new book, The Immortalists, are told the date they will die. How do magic and reality blur in the novel? Were there any particular moments that seemed to defy logic? Why are certain characters drawn to magic and the unknowable more than others?ħ. In what ways does family history shape us? What kind of legacies do the four siblings leave behind?Ħ. At its heart, The Immortalists is a family love story, exploring both past and future generations of the Gold family. How does belief affect each of the siblings? What is different or similar about the stories they tell themselves?ĥ. The power of belief - whether it be magic, religious faith, or storytelling - is an important theme in the novel. What was your reading experience when you switched sections? Did you identify more closely with certain siblings?Ĥ. The Immortalists is narrated by the four siblings in separate sections.

In what ways do these locations affect the characters? Why do you think all four of the siblings moved away from New York City?ģ. The novel takes place in very different settings - 1960s New York City, the San Francisco dance scene, glitzy Las Vegas hotels. The Immortalists explores the degree to which we shape our own destinies - do you believe that the siblings’ fate was preordained? Why or why not?Ģ.

The immortalists chloe benjamin