Prosecco N Prose | A Book Club

Brit Bennett - The Vanishing Half

February 17, 2021 Wendy & Amy Season 2 Episode 18
Prosecco N Prose | A Book Club
Brit Bennett - The Vanishing Half
Show Notes Transcript

Join Wendy and Amy in a lively discussion of Brit Bennett's bestseller The Vanishing Half. Identity, rebellion, Mallard as a symbol, and a palm reading are all part of the conversation. Pop a cork to finding peace after pain!

Next Episode: John Chu's short story "The Water That Falls on You from Nowhere"
Listen to John Chu read.

Please subscribe, rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to our episodes.

Prosecco N Prose | Season 2 | Episode 18 | The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett
 
Co-Hosts: Wendy  & Amy 
February 17, 2021

Introduction of Bubbly, Prose, and Podcast – 00:00:00
Catching Up | La Vostra Tasting – 00:00:45
Author and Book Information – 00:06:30
Main Character Introduction – 00:09:24
Brief Summary with Spoilers – 00:09:50
Handful of Hyperbole
1)    Themes of Identity and Rebellion – 00:14:03
2)    Symbols – Mallard duck – 00:19:45
3)    Game/Random – Palmistry Reading – 00:22:02
Closing and Outro – 00:40:42




 

Support the show

Prosecco N Prose | Season 2 | Episode 18 | The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett

 Co-Hosts: Wendy (W) | Amy (A) 

February 17, 2021

Introduction of Bubbly, Prose, and Podcast – 00:00:00
Catching Up | La Vostra Tasting – 00:00:45
Author and Book Information – 00:06:30
Main Character Introduction – 00:09:24
Brief Summary with Spoilers – 00:09:50
Handful of Hyperbole
1)    Themes of Identity and Rebellion – 00:14:03
2)    Symbols – Mallard duck – 00:19:45
3)    Game/Random – Palmistry – 00:22:02
Closing and Outro – 00:40:42

Next Episode: “The Water That Falls on You from Nowhere” by John Chu
Podcast Audio Link where John Chu reads his short story. 

 

Transcript:

00:00:00

Amy (A): Welcome to Prosecco and Prose Episode 18.  

Wendy (W): This week’s prosecco is La Vostra. 

A: This week’s prose is The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett. 

* * * intro * * *  

00:00:45  

W: This book has been on everyone’s TBR stack it seems. 

A: It has...so glad it’s finally made it to the top of our stack. Been looking forward to this one. 

W: Me, too. But before we get to that, can we just talk about this prosecco? 

A: Of course, of course. Got to. La Vostra. Such a power name. 

W: La Vostra actually means your or yours, like belonging to you. But I was referring specifically to this magnum you have here. When we talked about this book being about twins, I was kind of thinking of these little splits, since that’s what happens to our story twins. 

A: Okay … See your line of thought, I guess I was just thinking…you know…double trouble, so why not go with a double-trouble-get-your-party-on-type of bottle? 

W: I think if we consume that whole bottle, it will definitely be double trouble! 

A: [laughing]As if we're unfamiliar with trouble. 

W: I’m not saying that at all … but what if this prosecco ends up being one we don’t particularly care for?  

A: Oh Wendy, there’s always something we can mix this LaVostra with. When have we come across a prosecco we truly did not like?  

W: The ones we pay for?  

A: Ha! Good point … we do swipe Josh and Ruffino’s plastic for our stash...lucky us.  

W: We do, but back to your point. We have been quite lucky. Let’s see if today we continue on our streak.  

A: I’m ready, let’s see. Oh...just curious, is there a proper name for these cute little bottles?  

W: I’m not sure if it’s used everywhere, but they are called Piccolo, which means small, and I saw somewhere a party planner called them personal poppers.  

A: Splits? Piccolee? personal poppers? Whatevs! I say, rooty-tooty-cutie and fruity...let’s get the sipping started.   

W: I do have one concern sipping from these little cuties, I wonder if we will be more burpy because the bubbles won’t be able to escape, like in a glass … 

A: Oh great … just what I need...

W: Sorry!

A: Editing those out can be so difficult at times...but, you know, we really need to pour this in a glass to do a proper tasting. 

W: Oh right. I was mesmerized by the cuteness.

A: Oh, I’m on the pour so I don’t lose you for the whole episode. 

W: La Vostra is a DOC, your basic level prosecco … extra dry …  

A: Which, contrary to what it sounds like, is actually in the middle of the sweetness range. Here you go...do note the tall pour. 

W: Thank you. And yes, it can get confusing, but just keep listening and you guys will be prosecco pros in no time. Quick refresher, it’s Brut, Extra Dry, and Dry, dry being the sweetest.

A: Right … which is a bit funny when you really think about it… you know Brut is the French word for dry, but I won’t digress. 

W: Didn’t you?

A: Okay...let me see...now this prosecco is 11% alcohol, again, very typical, comes in at about 10 bucks a bottle, and is a 3.8 on our trusty Vivino app.

W: Not too bad. Good price. It is quite bubbly.

A: It’s kind of lemony in color to me … I mean I almost can’t call the bubblies perlage as the color makes me think of Mello-Yello soda pop... 

W: Wow … really? I see the color as more of a pale yellow, almost a silver white. 

A: I don’t know what she is looking at….

W:  Well maybe because I have the light behind of me and you have.... 

A: Maybe!

W: Yeah…I hope it doesn’t taste like Mello-Yello … too sweet. And to think I used to drink that as much as I could when I was in high school. Took money from our good old green piggy bank to buy a can.

A: Looks like I’m not the only petty purloiner in the studio. 

W: Do you even know what that means?

A: I most certainly do, you criminal. But…back to our La Vostra...I can definitely tell you that the smell isn’t Mello-Yello, so we should be okay. You know it’s very floral … I’m also getting some…I’m getting some green apple...again, typical of most proseccos.

W: I smell citrus and honey … really smell honey … pear … it’s definitely got some floral notes.

A: Oh wow! Maybe … Little heavier-bodied than recent bubblies, but I can definitely pick out the apple. The bubbles kind of sting the tongue though…gives it ah citrusy finish.

W: I really taste the honey … that’s different … There is also citrus, pear, and apple, but definitely with honey. It almost gives it a thickness, like a sticky feeling in the mouth for me.

A: Interesting...I feel it’s crisp enough though that I’d probably use it with some peach purée for a nice Sunday Bellini.

W: I think you’ll have more than enough for Bellinis … enough even for a guest or two or just one … 

A: Yes, I do, especially with this magnum...hey...you angling for an invite???

W: What? Me? I mean … if you are inviting … 

A: La mia casa è la tua casa. And you know that.

W: Why thank you! This La Vostra, to me anyway, is more different than any of the other proseccos we’ve tried. Really, really honey for me, but I am getting some melon on the back end…in the finish. I think this would also be good in a prosecco Mimosa.

A: Hmmmm! It’s definitely a large-group-affordable go-to if you’re short on cash, especially if you bought a stack of books … 

W: Well, what are you supposed to do when you end up in the book section and the covers and blurbs are so enticing?

A: I think you are supposed to buy. You know...support authors and the whole writing community.

W: I mean, that goes without saying. Gotta get the books.

A: Gotta. And this giant bottle was only 22 bucks … such a fun way to splash out at a party. Big money in the house.

W: That is fun … and a great price. And we’d love it if any of you feel like splashing out and leaving us a rating and review; we would much appreciate it.

A: Plus, it’s free, takes you just a few minutes. Go on...you can do it! Oh and don’t forget to subscribe with that little subscribe button...it’s free too! Now let’s talk about our author.

W: Just going to top off my glass … It wasn’t a very tall pour.

00:06:30  

A: Ha! Nice try, Wendy...you just drank it like a Mello-Yello! Author—Brit Bennett was born and raised in California. She received her undergrad from Stanford, MFA from the University of Michigan, and then studied at Oxford. Busy girl! Her work has been featured in... get this...The New Yorker, The New York Times Magazine, The Paris Review, and Jezebel.

W: You like that word, don’t you!

A: I do!

W: Her debut novel, The Mothers, which came out in 2016 when she was only 26, was a bestseller, and The Vanishing Half, 2020, debuted at #1 on the New York Times Bestseller list. It was also named one of the 10 Best Books of 2020. Not a bad start … two best sellers. I think I’m going to need to go back and read The Mothers.

A: Because we always need a got-to-read-stack! 

W: Obviously! 

A: Now Ms. Bennett has also collected several awards …list is lengthy, Wendy, so you got time to drink that Mello-Yello…[laughing]...okay awards: Hopwood Award in Graduate Short Fiction…2014 Hurston/Wright Award for College Writers...National Book Foundation 5 Under 35 honoree…and as a finalist for the NBCC John Leonard Prize for the best first book...now there’s more...[finalist awards]

W: Wow!

A: The PEN/Robert W. Bingham Prize for Debut Fiction...the New York Public Library Young Lions Award...and finally the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work - Fiction...time for me to now take a drink! What a mouthful!

W: Wow! She certainly has not wasted a minute of her 30 years! 

A: I would say not. You know how I love to know an author’s inspiration for the story … 

W: I do. And so do I … I need to know where these ideas come from!

A: Exactly…well, I found this article in The Guardian from July 5th, 2020...Ms. Bennett said she was inspired by a town her mother remembered hearing about when she was a child. Everyone intermarried so their children would get lighter and lighter. I’ll put the link in the show notes.

W: They kind of genetically engineered themselves. That’s really wild.

A: Yes, it’s really interesting. The same article said HBO had won the bidding war on the screen rights, outbidding 17 rival TV companies, so now we also have the movie to look forward to. Don’t think we have HBO though...hmmm!

W: Exciting. You know there’s a movie theater opening up right in front of my building … You know the Alamo Draft House Cinema … get some nice pub food, a cocktail … we’ve got a few books-to-movies to check out.

A: We do! Still doesn’t fix my not having HBO though… but you know I am about some good, greasy pub food and a cocktail. 

W: Wait … I have to have HBO to see it?

A: Yes Wendy. I take it you don’t have HBO either?

W: No. I don’t; I didn’t know that.

A: Learn something new every day, right? [laughing

W: Let just go to characters…I’m embarrassed now.  

00:09:24  

A: There were so many characters in this book, but we are only going to introduce the four that the novel revolves around. Stella and Desiree are light-skinned Black identical twins, growing up in a small town in rural Louisiana.

W: Jude is Desiree’s daughter and Kennedy is Stella’s daughter. The novel is primarily told from these four characters’ viewpoints.

00:09:50  

A: Short and to the point … I like it. Now here’s our spoiler warning as we get into the summary … The story is told in six parts …so we’ll do the same...easiest way to spoil...Part I is told, mostly, from Desiree’s point of view … I say mostly, because throughout the novel, there are a few sections that are told by other characters. But...we’re going to focus on the stories of just the four girls: Desiree, Stella, Jude, and Kennedy. Now the other stories, for me, really added to the flavor of the novel, but time is never our friend when we get to unpacking things. 

W: No, I did love getting a bit of the other characters’ stories … Ms. Bennett wove them in so beautifully.

A: She really did … so Part I, Desiree’s point of view, in 1968, … which was 14 years after the twins ran away to New Orleans at age 16. Desiree married Sam, a dark-skinned man, and they had a 7-year-old daughter, Jude. In this part, Desiree returns to Mallard, Louisiana, to escape her abusive husband.

W: Part II, told from Jude’s point of view, in 1978 … Jude, Desiree’s daughter, is off to college at UCLA. We learn about Jude’s childhood, growing up as a dark-skinned girl among light-skinned blacks in Mallard, and the bullying and exclusion she suffered as a result. She meets Reese, a transgendered boy, at a college party and they develop a friendship. Jude takes a catering job to help get money for Reese for a surgery he wants for his chest, and while working a party, she sees Stella.

A: Which is quite a shock for her … Stella is her Mother’s identical twin. So Part III, told from Stella’s point of view, takes us back to 1968. In New Orleans, Stella had gotten a secretarial job while passing as white. She eventually married her young boss and they moved away, severing ties with her twin and possibly her race. Stella has a blonde, violet-eyed daughter, Kennedy. Then a Black family moves into their wealthy California neighborhood, much to everyone’s displeasure...and it didn’t even seem to really even matter that the husband was a successful actor.

W: Didn’t Stella even speak up about not wanting them to move in?

A: She did, and she wasn’t known to be the most vocal...always being careful to not draw too much attention...she had to protect her secret, you know. But Stella befriends the wife, and they end up spending considerable time together, though she tries, unsuccessfully, to hide it from the other white neighbors. Their two young daughters also play together quite a bit…Stella even goes as far to ask Kennedy to keep this a secret. Their friendship ends when Kennedy calls the daughter an ugly racial word … the family is horribly harassed and eventually moves away.

W: Part IV, told from Jude’s point of view, in 1982. Jude is now working while applying to medical school. She meets Kennedy, who is starring in the lead role in a friend’s show. Jude recognizes Kennedy as the violet-eyed girl from the party where she saw Stella. Jude befriends Kennedy, hoping to learn more about Stella. Then one night, Kennedy drunkenly insults Jude and Jude spills the beans on Stella and Mallard.

A: Part V, told alternately from both Jude and Kennedy’s point of view, in 1985. They coincidently run into each other in New York. Jude gives Kennedy an old photo of their Mothers...remember they’re twins. Kennedy confronts Stella with the photo, but Stella lies. Kennedy realizes her mother has been lying all along, and she heads off to Europe.

W: Part VI, told in part by all four characters, in 1986. Stella returns to Mallard to ask Desiree to tell Jude to leave Kennedy alone; Stella wants to protect her secret. The sisters reconnect, but Stella sneaks out at night to leave, giving up her wedding ring to sell off to help care for their Mother, now suffering from Alzheimer’s. Kennedy returns home, asks about the ring, and Stella tells her the truth, but asks her not to tell her Father. The twins’ mother passes away, Jude and Reese attend the funeral. Jude, still in contact with Kennedy, unbeknownst to their Mothers, lets her know. Desiree and Early, her longtime companion, move to Houston.

A: And those are just the main characters! There were also several great stories about other minor characters … I just loved following Reese and Barry throughout the novel.

W: We can’t give it all away! Save some for the readers!

A: So good...a must read. But let’s move onto themes. 

00:14:03  

W: There are so many to talk about. Race, obviously, but within that, identity. Who are we, and who do we present to our family, friends, and the world at large? Nearly every character in this story grappled with this in some way.

A: Agreed, but there was also this underlying sense of rebellion with it. 

W: Oh!

A: A deliberate, like going against something … I wouldn’t say with all the characters, but certainly with some.

W: I think you bring up a very interesting point. I hadn’t thought of it in that way, but I can certainly see it … Let’s take Desiree, for instance, it was her idea to run away, that’s a pretty rebellious move. She wants more than cleaning houses, and she wants to get out of Mallard.

A: Right, and then she rebels against the very foundation of the light skinned community she has been raised in by marrying a very dark black man, having a very dark child, and then returning to that light community with that child. It was almost like shoving poor Jude in everyone’s face.

W: Well, her Mother, Adele, certainly took it as an affront, it seemed. 

A: She really did. She wasn’t exactly warm towards Jude in the beginning. And remember what Adele said to Desiree? “You hate us that much, don’t you?” 

W: Right! And Desiree, when she had her and Sam’s engagement photo all ready to send to her Mother, thought her Mother would say “You’re only marrying him out of rebellion and the worst thing to give a rebelling child is attention.” So, she didn’t send the photo.

A: Desiree also was not upset that Jude didn’t look like her. She said “the last thing she wanted was to love someone else who looked like herself.”

W: Well, Stella broke her heart when she disappeared … maybe she was subconsciously hoping to avoid that in the future?

A: Very possible. To go back to your overarching theme of identity though, Desiree did not seem to fit in with the identity her carefully cultivated community wanted her to be, it’s why she initially ran away, and why she’s eventually married Sam. Coming back to Mallard was a very hard decision … she had to turn away from, rebel, if you will, what she’d worked to achieve away from Mallard. Away from Stella even.

W: Very true … and the plan wasn’t to stay in Mallard … it was just going to be a stop until she had a plan. 

A: Oh, that’s right.

W: But to go back to your idea of rebellion, remember Early? 

A: Uh hummm!

W: Her Mother didn’t like him when she was a young girl and those feelings didn’t seem to change as an adult when he came back around to see Desiree.

A: They didn’t, but I feel Desiree really followed her heart there. Early was also…just he was a really good man.

W: He was. 

A:  Probably when she was younger their relationship had more of rebellious nature, but, you know, as an adult, it felt genuine.

W: I did really like Early. Now Stella … she seems to want to just erase her Mallard identity. She doesn’t come across as rebellious in doing that, though.

A: No, I agree. She just wants a life she doesn’t see having unless she assumes a white woman’s identity. And is it really so bad, in her mind, if someone else makes that assumption of her first?

W: Right … she clearly has inner turmoil; we the reader see that, but we also see her argument with it, like has she really done anything wrong? Though her actions tell us otherwise, why would she feel the need to vanish from her sister? Why does she go back to ask Desiree to tell Jude to leave her daughter, Kennedy, alone?

A: There is obviously guilt … though I have some curiosity about what her Mother would have thought of her choice? It would have been interesting to see that. We know that when Stella does come back, she treats her almost as if she never left, which was different from her treatment of Desiree.

W: There was the Alzheimer’s, though.

A: True … but still, it felt like a little bit of a tale that you know she was simply accepted home and Desiree was judged.

W: I agree. Real quick on our other two characters … Jude and Kennedy. Jude definitely dealt with her identity as a darker-skinned black girl in this light-skinned community. It led to her wanting to escape, to go to California, where maybe she could blend in … disappear, just not stand out.

A: I wouldn’t say Jude was particularly rebellious, which was different from Desiree, but she was searching for the place where her skin color wouldn’t be the thing that set her apart. I think she did find people who accepted her.

W: She did, people who loved and cared for her. And I feel she came to accept herself. I think those friends helped. Now Kennedy, as an actress, was constantly assuming a new identity.

A: She was. And she was different from Stella in that she was also very rebellious.

W: Oh, she was! But Kennedy did have her world upended when Jude showed her the photo … her identity as “just white girl Kennedy” was called into question. What she’d known and thought was changed in an instant. Before, she could choose which identity she wanted, in her acting, but now, this was a part of her. In her blood.

A: Right. Kennedy rebels further, because Stella had a plan for her, a plan that included college … to her, to Stella, acting is not a job, or a career really, but Kennedy goes off to New York and then off to Europe. She has her own plan, not Mom’s plan.

W: I have a bit of a thought … maybe Stella did kind of follow her own Mother’s plan … no, she didn’t stay in Mallard or communicate with her Mother, but she did follow the plan in marrying the supposed right guy, air quotes, to have lighter children … Desiree did not do that.

A: Well then, was Kennedy attempting to undo that with her choice in partners?

W: It certainly bears some consideration. I’m sure we could go on and on, but curious what you guys think. Did we miss the mark? Were these fair themes to discuss? We’d love to hear your thoughts. Symbols?

00:19:45    

A: We didn’t find any symbols that really jumped out at us this time, did we?

W: No, not really, but we did have our town of Mallard, and we thought we might just briefly talk on that. 

A: So most know that a Mallard is a duck, and female mallards are mottled, you know a light sandy brown color. I found this connection so interesting.

W: That is. Now a duck is considered a wake-up call … a warning you no longer have control over your emotions and require protection.

A: Hmmm … okay … and there’s the saying … be like a duck, calm on the surface, but paddling like crazy underneath. I feel like this could be related to the town … there’s this appearance the town is functioning well, but underneath, there are definitely tensions.

W: I hadn’t even thought of that, but yes, great analogy. Like a duck floating freely, one must have confidence in your own destiny and take charge of your life, letting go of insignificant things from the past.

A: That seems like a struggle, not just in this novel, but I think people can relate to that on the whole, letting go is really hard.

W: It is. Especially when it is left up to our own judgement just what are considered insignificant things.

A: So true. The duck also symbolizes clarity, family, love, vigilance, self-expression, adaptation, and strength. Each of these characters had some or even all of these qualities.

W: They did. I found this interesting … a male duck is a figure of happiness and joy, while the female is negativity and sadness. Course they do that right?

A: Uhmmm hummm!

W: These two aspects in the same animal symbolize balance and incredibly emotional balance.

A: I felt many of these characters were searching for balance, so that’s really interesting. But check this out … a duck “spirit animal” appears when you’ve avoided something that won’t let you move on with your life.

W: Wow … 

A: I like that voodoo stuff

W: it makes me think of the twins coming back to Mallard … each of them came back when they reached a point like this in their own lives. Interesting stuff. 

A: Very. That’s why books are just so good! And it’d be really good of you to rate and review us, especially if you listen on Apple podcast.

W: So good. And so appreciated. And more great book discussions when you subscribe. Now, I’ve been waiting …  I’m intrigued by this book you have just laying out all casual like … 

00:22:02 Random 

A: Oh this dusty thing? 

W: Yes, that!

A: Just kidding...I bet you were wondering what were the chances crazy book lady…a.k.a. me…had a Palmistry book?

W: Hmmm! I’ve just stopped being surprised at anything that nests on your bookshelves. Our listeners know, as well as I do, that you have a book on just about everything.

A: Well not everything…There’s a few random outliers on my shelves.

W: A few? Josh…your son…your parents…hmmm…they gotta be so proud…

A: [laughing]…I don’t know about that. But I bought this book called…let me see…ah the exact title…let me turn it around here…Palm Decoder: Read Your Palm and Foretell Your Future… was written by Tre McCamley…copyright…ah, let me look in here…2007.

W: And why, Amy, would you buy this?

A: It was a quick prop…more like a study guide…for a school carnival table I was assigned…I was the palm reader...you know the token gypsy fortune teller…I needed to be legit. I’ll tell you though…the kids lined up for miles for me to read their palms…line was out the door. Muah…as always…was a huge hit…Not proud of this though, but I was also the cause of several middle school break-ups.

W: I can’t even…geez…you know they might have just been wanting to chat with cool Amy. Did you have costume to go with it?

A: Need you even ask? 

W: No! 

A: Oh my gosh! I was the real deal…picture a good Stevie Nicks Rhiannon look…at the time I sported blonde locks and all…

W: Why doesn’t that surprise me? Now this book…what practice did you hone in on when preparing for your debut in palmistry? I see that there are several types.

A: Western palmistry…it’s the type that focuses more on self…I didn’t really want to stir up family troubles…only focused on top level individual student readings and the simple lines on the hand.

W: Middle school shenanigans! Relationships! Right! Small stuff!

A: Yep...small stuff...I think I told the QB of the football team, he needed to look at getting a new position.

W: AMY!!!!!

A: Well, he really wasn’t that good. Like I said, I kept it top level.

W: Amy, nothing’s top level in middle school! But yes, like I mentioned, there are other types of palmistry…Oriental … Asian … based out of India. Indian-based palmistry seems to focus on extended family…hones in on the skin and fingertip patterns … and this is cool … animal and planet symbiology.

A: Well, I had a lot to learn, and not a lot of time to learn it...so I stuck to the lines focused on in the Western practice. In this novel, it looks like the palmistry Ms. Bennett wrote about was the Western practice, too. And hence, my friend, is why we couldn’t miss out on this opportunity...kind of like a fun game and random topic to discuss all in one. 

W: Of course, not…as always…there’s a method to your madness…and it is interesting, and I’m very curious.

A: I’ll make sure to share a picture of this book along with a diagram of the basic lines on the hand we are reading on our Instagram page. I also referenced Nisha Ghai’s Palmistry Guide online…it’s an 84-page downloadable pdf. Will put that info in our show notes...So let’s dig in…https://www.instituteofpalmistry.com/images/e-book.pdf

W: Even better than the diagram, WE can put the picture of our permanent marker lined palms up as well. 

A: [laughing] Oh yeah! You know it took me three days to get that black sharpie off my hands.

W: Mine too…Okay guys…just to let you know…we marked up our hands last week, and Amy matched our lines with her book after I left, so this discussion is based on past actions.

A: I took me a long time to go through all the pictures and the notes, so I will share what mine read...but Wendy, Wendy is getting the big reveal today…right here…right now.

W: I feel like I’ve done this before … a handwriting analysis???

A: Oh yeah! That was Episode 4, our Maria Reva short. It’s just too easy to get you, Wendy.

W: Exactly. I don’t remember that turning out too bad though, so I’m ready. Excited to see what my wanna-be gypsy co-host finds. Now I do remember from the novel, the exchange between Loretta and Stella talking about a “forked child line” on the side of the palm that would denote twins. Loretta was able to see that Stella had a single line showing that she’d not ever bear twins.

A: Ohhh that’s right. She also read Stella’s love line, you know, her life line…

W: Okay okay…that’s all well and good, but I’m intrigued with what our reading, well I mean mine really, revealed. Doesn’t seem fair that I had to wait until today.

A: Well, you put me in charge of the research for this section, so you can’t always know everything all the time.

W: You put yourself in charge…

A: [laughing] I did! That’s what happens when I finish…when I finish the book before you and reread it like ten times before you’ve even opened it.

W: Quit stalling...

A:  Before the big reveal, can I at least speak on the benefits of palmistry and how we can make decisions based on the practice? You know they say the hand is the mirror to the soul.

W: I thought that was the eyes, but whatever…palmistry sounds like a bit of a voodoo practice, but I do know a lot of people enjoy what a reading of palms reveals. 

A: Exactly…So Palmistry is a learned practice that helps translate the past…the present…the future…a deeper understanding of who you are…you know your strengths and weaknesses…sort of an aid for making clear-minded decisions…those forks you encounter in the road of life.

W: And I know I’m itching to see what mine reveals. I’m hoping my palm reveals a long loving life with Ruffino… maybe even a small fortune from this podcast would be great. I just want to read and write for the rest of my living days…mostly read. And drink prosecco, of course.

A: …sounds blissful. Let’s start with our life lines

W: Finally...I thought you’d never ask…do we need to tell our listeners which hand you took the reading from?

A: Good question, and yes. For this reading we did the writing hand…which is your dominant hand (the right one) …it reveals your conscious self. Your non-writing hand (and for you the left) is the passive hand…and it reveals your unconscious self—sort of your inner potential. You can compare both…oh…and also note that lines change over time…lines can break and then they can heal…you just have to get really intimate with your hands and really know them well.

W: I’m not even going there…

A: Funny… So, your life line, Wendy… remember this is the one that runs from between your thumb and index finger down towards your wrist…sort of in a north-south direction, but kind-of semicircular. Your life line represents personality, life’s possibilities, and state of physical capacity.

W: So, it’s not about length of life?  

A: Huge misconception. And a short life line has nothing to do with lifespan. We are looking more at the characteristics of that line and more specifically of that life.

W: Whew! Good. I worried because yours was a lot shorter than mine. And I don’t know anything about podcast editing should something happen to you.  

A: Thankful for the concern, but no need to worry. Yours runs really wide around the thumb and is well developed. This shows that you are a people person and play well with others. It also shows you have a wide bandwidth of interests. It reveals that you are also quite resilient. Now you had a slight fork at the end…this denotes a move to an apartment or bungalow at some point in your life. People’s life lines that finish faintly show that they may have lower back problems but luckily yours was fully developed.

W: That sounds like me … I particularly like the moving to a bungalow … I’m hoping my apartment move doesn’t cancel it out. I’m pretty sure we have at least one more move, so a bungalow near…at the beach would be perfect. 

A: Perfect!

W: What did yours reveal, Amy? I remember yours was very faint at the bottom…you have back issues? The way you lug around those cases of prosecco, I can’t imagine you having back problems.

A: Not yet, but knowing this now…can focus on keeping my back healthy…maybe I’ll get one of those ugly black industry belts...

W: Ugh!

A: It'll at least hold my waistline in…

W: We might need those after years of prosecco drinking….

A: Let’s not go there...not overly fashionable either...

W: No!

A: My life line was doubled and partial…well developed on the top and faint on the lower line. This reveals that I have a potential to lead a double life…one ordinary and the other one more challenging and exciting. Many actresses and actor’s life lines read like this. You know I do love to cut loose here and there.

W: Yes, you do…you definitely know when to turn it on and off. Poised and proper…hmmm…twenty-five percent of the time then watch out as Hurricane Amy is in da house!

A: Something like that, but I love to act a fool when I can. So…Let’s talk about our Heart Lines…these lines represent both the degree of sympathy...compassion, your feelings, emotional attitude, and physical heart…this is also the partnership or you know the relationships line…

W: Hey Heart Lines was the name of Part three in the novel…did you see that?

A: I did when I was initially flipping through the novel and the reason I wanted to touch on palmistry.

W: You really don’t miss a thing. But back to heart lines

A: For our listeners…Your heart line runs under…somewhat horizontal if you look at it east/west…and closest to the fingers—very distinct line. When reading it you start at the edge of your palm at the pinky side of the hand which represents your early years from birth and runs in the direction toward the index finger into adulthood.

W: So that would be this one?

A: Yep…Your line is strong and clear and ends under the index finger. It splits with a trident. This reveals you are emotionally vulnerable and though romance is important to you, you are not considered overly romantic; however, you are affectionate. The fork in the trident shows that though you have a serious outlook on your relationships, you have a tendency to be a workaholic and have a balanced mentality.

W: Wow… so far you are on the money. That’s crazy. Not really romantic at all, but very affectionate. Poor Ruffino. Okay, let me see yours…you have a trident too…which doesn’t surprise me as you are a workaholic and seem to be mentally balanced. But what else did you find?

A: [laughing] Josh might disagree on my mental balance, but I had many branches on my heart line and this reveals that I make daily demands on my partner, which is true. Not proud, but I am a bit high maintenance at times. 

W: Aren’t we both.

A: I had to say that because Josh will call me out after he listens to this episode. But my heart line also reveals that I have dated a great deal…and obviously this was in the past.

W: Didn’t you say you had a black book your mom found in high school...

A: … ah we shall leave that book hidden in my past.

W: I was only asking … but thanks for the confirmation … and future soft spot…

A: But what was really interesting was that my passive hand didn’t match with my dominant hand. This reveals that I attract two different types of people depending on what self is revealed…the inner or outer self.

W: Sounds dangerous…you liked the bad boys and then ended up with a good one?

A: Something like that. Now let’s move to the head line…the one that looks at intellect and understanding…starts between the index finger and thumb above the life line and is read going towards the edge of the palm. It is usually between the heart line and the life line. It’s really easy to find. 

W: If you guys are having a hard time picturing, don’t worry, we will put a basic diagram of the hand on our Instagram so you can see where these lines are located. So, what does it say about me? I’m sure mine says I’m extremely intellectual right?

A: Yours is actually connected to your life line…this is interesting as it shows you are typically more cautious and careful than needed 

W: Wow!

A: …and you measure yourself by what others think of you. This means that you should avoid negative or overly critical people.

W: Again yes…that is most definitely me. Glad you’re not critical… but I’m starting to wonder whether you just know me or this is just that accurate. I’m going to need to borrow that book.

A: Borrow away. My friend. I’m just telling you what your palm says. Now there’s more…your sufficient talent and strong qualities will eventually help to reassure you, but your major achievements are often the result of wanting to prove yourself over and over again.

W: Oh, I always feel a need to prove myself … Let’s take a look at yours. Your line starts high and close to the index finger. It also ends in a downward fork.

A: Okay, let me unpack this. Says I’m highly motivated and capable of great achievements…tend to be overly ambitious and a risk-taker…not sure about the risk-taker part but you know whatevs.

W: Seriously? Not sure about the risk-taker? Okay … continue… 

A: Thank you, I will…the fork though, as mine was wavy and patchy, shows I can get distracted and… 

W: No way…

A: and sometimes thinking deeply or studying can be a strain. This might represent my struggles with reading or comprehension. I really have to focus, or I’m all over the place…and you know this…

W: Yes but…you work through those difficulties better than most…

A: I try; Think we have time for one more…you pick…fate line, success line, or attachment line? Pick one and we’ll look…I’ve got all the notes here. 

W: Okay I’m a sucker for fate…what did my fate line say.

A: Okay let me see…looking here...Fate lines also known as Saturn lines give information on careers, how you feel about them, and whether it's challenging enough for you. It starts on the center part of the palm just above the wrist and usually travels up the palm towards the middle finger.

W: Mine looks somewhat short…well, maybe not short…and it has a double line…what did you find on that?

A: Well, this was really interesting. It showed that you may experience…let’s see…a sudden fortunate change in circumstance…possibly a lottery win or a chance windfall. Shows that you have a lucky streak. The doubleness of the fate line shows you can run more than one career/job/school activity simultaneously. Shows in your fifties that a creative, imaginative job becomes more prominent and possibly more fulfilling but ceases at age 60.

W: All military wives, or even women in general, must have a double line! 

A: Hmmm! Probably.

W: I think so…I’m happy to have a fortunate windfall … but I hope after 60 it’s not all downhill. I’d hate to think I’ve only got 14 good years left!

A: Wendy this is just a reading … you can take charge of your destiny, now that you are armed with this knowledge.

W: Okay, okay … which one will you finish up with?

A: Well, I think I’ll finish up with my success line. I found it really interesting. 

W: Uh hum!

A: This one is also known as the Sun Line, representing the successes in life. In most, it’s pretty short and is located between the fate line and the edge of the palm. So, you could find your fate line on your dominant hand and move left. Read from the base of the palm and move up towards your fingers.

W: Yours is shorter, deep at the top and then…and then faint toward the bottom.

A: Mine says that I will achieve a long-desired ambition later in life. Says I had some success in my 20s and 30s but more success will show in my fifties. It could be success in terms of promotion, prestige, or remuneration. I feel I have just about everything I need, but more is always better, especially the money part.

W: This was so fun, and I know your palm decoder book talks about fingerprints, too. When you had us do our prints, I had ulnar loops … 

A: … which are the most common. This is someone who is adaptable and versatile in changing circumstances.

W: We are military wives, right? 

A: We are...and also teachers, don’t forget. Now I had whorls or sometimes they’re called islands…

W: And those denote what?

A: A leader or non-conformist who holds strong personal views… 

W: That’s you. And I just remembered Desiree worked in D.C. for the Bureau solving life’s mysteries of loops, arches, and whirls. Wasn’t she a fingerprint reader? Is that what it was called?

A: I think so and that is true. I’m glad you mentioned this. 

W: I found it interesting that she could identify one person out of a million by studying ridges of a fingerprint…and I think it said she was able to identify soldiers’ remains…

A: It’s an amazing science and just one of those random things in life that we normally don’t think about when going on our day-to-day adventure.

W: Unless your name is Amy. There are so many other lines, mounts, griddles to study in this book. I think I’m going to take it out on loan.

A: Did you just say griddles?

W: Yeah, why?

A: I think you were talking about the girdles…you know the Girdle of Venus…this was the neuroticism or paranoia line…neither of us has this…that’s why I didn’t mention it. Griddles…you’re so funny. That’s an Amy mistake, normally. 

W: I don’t have the book but I’m feeling a little paranoid …  like I’m being judged right now.

A: Stop…but anyone interested in this book…again it’s the Palm Decoder: Read Your Palm and Foretell Your Future by Tre MaCamley and Nisha Ghai’s Palmistry Guide.

W: I think we should also share…after flipping through the pages…that it shows you how to map your hand…discusses the breaks, the squares, the chains, starts, grids, and different shapes on your hands…

A: Here…you just take the books home with you and you and Ruffino can have some fun…

W: I will do just that…oh look…I see that…wait…they have a lot of the mythological names like Jupiter, Apollo, Mars, Venus…

A: Oh Wendy…now you are trailing…Guys…that’s a wrap…Let me finish by saying that I just love the zestiness of this La Vostra…mine’s almost empty...and just to clarify...we drank the splits...not the magnum. 

W: I think we would be drooling about now if we had … or giggling … that’s been known to happen. I agree, this wasn’t bad, but it’s a bit heavy. I’m still partial to Asolo.

00:40:42

A: I’m always partial to Asolo … it’s our first prosecco love.

W: It is! Now I really enjoyed this book a lot, but wasn’t my favorite I’ve read in the last year, though I do get why so many people liked it. I am very interested in reading The Mothers. Got on the waitlist for that one.

A: I see where all the hype came from, I mean it’s so well-deserved, Ms. Bennett is an excellent writer and I loved her writer’s voice. 

W: So did I. Please join us in two weeks, when we will be discussing John Chu’s short story “The Water That Falls on You from Nowhere.” Amy will put a link to the story, both print and audio - the author reads it, in this week’s show notes.
The Water That Falls on You from Nowhere | Tor.com

https://www.tor.com/2013/02/20/the-water-that-falls-on-you-from-nowhere/

https://escapepod.org/2014/08/21/ep459-water-falls-nowhere/