This is an ambitious novel, tackling big themes, in particular just how much our lives are controlled by fate versus free will, and it mostly succeeds in its goals. The story follows the 4 Gold children, who as kids visit a fortune-teller who reveals to each of them their exact date of death, and who then grow up and go their separate ways. This information affects them all differently, and we begin to wonder if the prophecies are coming true, or if they are making them come true as a result of their actions. Each of the 4 gets their own section of the book, and they are all well written, though the first and last siblings (Simon and Varya) get the best of the quartet. The sections, effectively interconnected novellas, do a wonderful job of capturing the essence of the characters and how their lives turned out, but the endings of Klara’s and especially Daniel’s parts feel somewhat of a let down. In hindsight, I understand why it was necessary to end them the way the author did, as it helped to make sure that the idea of mere coincidence was removed from the equation, but Klara’s ending felt somewhat out of character and Daniel’s just felt a little bit too odd. I still really enjoyed this book, and was deeply moved by much of it. I will remember the Gold children and their fates for a long time to come. ★★★★ – Sean Farrell

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★★★★★ = Excellent | ★★★★ = Very Good | ★★★ = Good | ★★ = Fair | ★ = Poor