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Delia Hopkins has led a charmed life. Raised in rural New Hampshire by her widowed father, Andrew, she now has a young daughter, a handsome fiancé, and her own search-and-rescue bloodhound, which she uses to find missing persons. But as Delia plans her wedding, she is plagued by flashbacks of a life she can't recall. And then a policeman knocks on her door, revealing a secret that changes the world as she knows it.
In shock and confusion, Delia must sift through the truth -- even when it jeopardizes her life and the lives of those she loves. What happens when you learn you are not who you thought you were? When the people you've loved and trusted suddenly change before your eyes? When getting your deepest wish means giving up what you've always taken for granted? Vanishing Acts explores how life -- as we know it -- might not turn out the way we imagined; how doing the right thing could mean doing the wrong thing; how the memory we thought had vanished could return as a threat. Once again, Jodi Picoult handles a difficult and timely topic with understanding, insight, and compassion.
— The Boston Globe
"Picoult is a solid, lively storyteller."
— The New York Times
"What is it about a Jodi Picoult novel that wraps the reader tighter than a spider's silk in the...intricacies of story? Never more gripping is the master plotter than in this, the story of Delia Hopkins."
— Jacquelyn Mitchard, author of The Deep End of the Ocean
"Picoult creates compelling...characters...in a landscape that is fleshed out in rich, journalistic detail, so that readers will come away with intriguing questions."
— Publishers Weekly
"[A] masterpiece."
— Romantic Times
I was six years old the first time I disappeared.
My father was working on a magic act for the annual Christmas show at the senior center, and his assistant, the receptionist who had a real gold tooth and false eyelashes as thick as spiders, got the flu. I was fully prepared to beg my father to be part of the act, but he asked, as if I were the one who would be doing him a favor.
Like I said, I was six, and I still believed that my father truly could pull coins out of my ear and find a bouquet of flowers in the folds of Mrs. Kleban's chenille housecoat and make Mr. van Looen's false teeth disappear. He did these little tricks all the time for the elderly folks who came to play bingo or do chair aerobics or watch old black-and-white movies with soundtracks that crackled like flame. I knew some parts of the act were fake -- his fiddlehead mustache, for example, and the quarter with two heads -- but I was one hundred percent sure that his magic wand had the ability to transport me into some limbo zone, until he saw fit to call me back.
On the night of the Christmas show, the residents of three different assisted-living communities in our town braved the cold and the snow to be bused to the senior center. They sat in a semicircle watching my father while I waited backstage. When he announced me -- the Amazing Cordelia! -- I stepped out wearing the sequined leotard I usually kept in my dress-up bin.
I learned a lot that night. For example, that part of being the magician's assistant means coming face-to-face with illusion. That invisibility is really just knotting your body in a certain way and letting the black curtain fall over you. That people don't vanish into thin air; that when you can't find someone, it's because you've been misdirected to look elsewhere.
Copyright © 2005 by Jodi Picoult
My father was working on a magic act for the annual Christmas show at the senior center, and his assistant, the receptionist who had a real gold tooth and false eyelashes as thick as spiders, got the flu. I was fully prepared to beg my father to be part of the act, but he asked, as if I were the one who would be doing him a favor.
Like I said, I was six, and I still believed that my father truly could pull coins out of my ear and find a bouquet of flowers in the folds of Mrs. Kleban's chenille housecoat and make Mr. van Looen's false teeth disappear. He did these little tricks all the time for the elderly folks who came to play bingo or do chair aerobics or watch old black-and-white movies with soundtracks that crackled like flame. I knew some parts of the act were fake - his fiddlehead mustache, for example, and the quarter with two heads - but I was one hundred percent sure that his magic wand had the ability to transport me into some limbo zone, until he saw fit to call me back.
On the night of the Christmas show, the residents of three different assisted-living communities in our town braved the cold and the snow to be bused to the senior center. They sat in a semicircle watching my father while I waited backstage. When he announced me - the Amazing Cordelia! - I stepped out wearing the sequined leotard I usually kept in my dress-up bin.
I learned a lot that night. For example, that part of being the magician's assistant means coming face-to-face with illusion. That invisibility is really just knotting your body in a certain way and letting the black curtain fall over you. That people don't vanish into thin air; that when you can't find someone, it's because you've been misdirected to look elsewhere.
(Continues...)
Excerpted from Vanishing Acts by Jodi Picoult Copyright © 2005 by Jodi Picoult. Excerpted by permission.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
VANISHING ACTS
Jodi Picoult
Questions & Topics for Discussion
1. When she learns she was kidnapped as a child, Delia's choice of profession takes on a new significance. What motivated Delia to pursue a career in search-and-rescue? Does she view it differently once she knows about her past?
2. Delia says that as children she, Fitz, and Eric each had their roles: "Fitz was the dreamer; I was the practical tactician. Eric, on the other hand, was the front man: the one who could charm adults or other kids with equal ease." Have they continued these roles into adulthood? How so? Is each one comfortable in his or her role, or is there a longing to be something different?
3. In one instance Eric muses that "there are people in this world who have done worse things than Andrew Hopkins." What is your opinion of what Andrew did—taking Delia away from her mother and creating a new life for the two of them? From a legal standpoint, is he guilty of a crime? How about from a moral standpoint?
4. Andrew himself says, "Does it really matter why I did it? By now, you've already formed your impression. You believe that an act committed a lifetime ago defines a man, or you believe that a person's past has nothing to do with his future." A person cannot change his or her past actions, but can they make up for the hurt they've caused by helping others? Does the good that Andrew has done for the town of Wexton and for the senior citizens in his care—not to mention the happy childhood he gave Delia—make up for or excuse his taking his daughter? What do you make of Elise's remark to Andrew that Delia "turned out absolutely perfect"?
5. Eric believes thathe does not have "the experience or the wits or the confidence" to represent Andrew. Why then does he agree to take on the case? Why does he continue to act as Andrew's attorney even when it causes tension between him and Delia?
6. In one instance Delia says to Fitz about meeting her mother for the first time, "I want this to be perfect. I want her to be perfect. But what if she's not? What if I'm not?" How does the reality measure up when she finally meets her mother? What kind of understanding do Delia and Elise come to? Why does Elise give Delia the "spell"—is it to help Andrew or her daughter?
7. Delia believes "it takes two people to make a lie work: the person who tells it, and the one who believes it." How do the characters in the novel, including Delia herself, prove this to be true?
8. During the trial, Eric tells the court he is an alcoholic. What does the exchange between Eric and Delia while he is questioning her on the witness stand reveal about their relationship? Do they view each other differently after this exchange? As two people who love alcoholics, how does Delia's treatment of Eric differ from Andrew's treatment of Elise? Whose actions and reactions, given their partner's disease, do you support?
9. Eric says to Andrew, "Everyone deserves a second chance." How does the idea of second chances play out in Vanishing Acts? Are there any characters who deserve a second chance and don't get one? And, conversely - are there any characters who do get a second chance - and squander it?
10. Elise tells Delia, "If you had grown up with me, this is one of the things I would have tried to teach you: marry a man who loves you more than you love him. Because I have done both now, and when it is the other way around, there is no spell in the world that can even out the balance." Discuss this in terms of Delia's relationships with both Eric and Fitz. Which man do you think Delia should be with, and why?
11. Both Delia and Sophie quickly develop a close relationship with Ruthann. When Ruthann commits suicide, Delia is there to witness it. Why does she not try to stop Ruthann? What does Delia come to realize about herself from this experience?
12. Many of the chapters told from Andrew's point of view occur while he is in prison, "where everyone reinvents himself." What do these scenes, which depict in graphic detail the harsh realities of life behind bars, reveal about Andrew? What do they add to the overall storyline?
13. Right versus wrong is a dominant theme in Vanishing Acts—whether Andrew was right or wrong to kidnap Delia, whether Eric is right or wrong to hide his continued drinking from Delia, whether Delia is right or wrong not to stop Ruthann. How do the multiple perspectives in the story blur these lines and show how two people can view the same situation completely different? Were there any instances where you changed your mind about something in the story after reading a different character's viewpoint?
14. Fitz tells Delia, "I think you're angry at yourself, for not being smart enough to figure this out all on your own...If you don't want someone to change your life for you again, Dee, you've got to change it yourself." How do Fitz's words make Delia see her circumstances differently?
15. Ruthann introduces Delia to the Hopi creation myth, which suggests that humans have outgrown the world four times already, and are about to inhabit a fifth. Do most people outgrow their origins? Is reinvention part of the human experience? How do each of the characters' actions support or disprove this?
16. At one point, we learn that Fitz has not been writing about Andrew's trial, but about Delia. In fact, when he reads the first few pages to her, we can recognize them as the first few pages of this book. How does this affect the story you read? Is Fitz a reliable narrator?
17. Much is made of the nature of memory - whether it is stored physically, whether it can be conjured at will, whether it can be organically triggered or planted. Ultimately, do you believe Delia's recovered memories at the end of the book? Why or why not?
18. How are each of the main characters—Delia, Fitz, Eric, Andrew, and Elise—most changed by the events that take place? Where do you envision the characters five years from now?
Jodi Picoult
Questions & Topics for Discussion
1. When she learns she was kidnapped as a child, Delia's choice of profession takes on a new significance. What motivated Delia to pursue a career in search-and-rescue? Does she view it differently once she knows about her past?
2. Delia says that as children she, Fitz, and Eric each had their roles: "Fitz was the dreamer; I was the practical tactician. Eric, on the other hand, was the front man: the one who could charm adults or other kids with equal ease." Have they continued these roles into adulthood? How so? Is each one comfortable in his or her role, or is there a longing to be something different?
3. In one instance Eric muses that "there are people in this world who have done worse things than Andrew Hopkins." What is your opinion of what Andrew did--taking Delia away from her mother and creating a new life for the two of them? From a legal standpoint, is he guilty of a crime? How about from a moral standpoint?
4. Andrew himself says, "Does it really matter why I did it? By now, you've already formed your impression. You believe that an act committed a lifetime ago defines a man, or you believe that a person's past has nothing to do with his future." A person cannot change his or her past actions, but can they make up for the hurt they've caused by helping others? Does the good that Andrew has done for the town of Wexton and for the senior citizens in his care--not to mention the happy childhood he gave Delia--make up for or excuse his taking his daughter? What do you make of Elise's remark to Andrew that Delia "turned out absolutely perfect"?
5. Eric believes that he does not have "the experience or the wits or the confidence" to represent Andrew. Why then does he agree to take on the case? Why does he continue to act as Andrew's attorney even when it causes tension between him and Delia?
6. In one instance Delia says to Fitz about meeting her mother for the first time, "I want this to be perfect. I want her to be perfect. But what if she's not? What if I'm not?" How does the reality measure up when she finally meets her mother? What kind of understanding do Delia and Elise come to? Why does Elise give Delia the "spell"--is it to help Andrew or her daughter?
7. Delia believes "it takes two people to make a lie work: the person who tells it, and the one who believes it." How do the characters in the novel, including Delia herself, prove this to be true?
8. During the trial, Eric tells the court he is an alcoholic. What does the exchange between Eric and Delia while he is questioning her on the witness stand reveal about their relationship? Do they view each other differently after this exchange? As two people who love alcoholics, how does Delia's treatment of Eric differ from Andrew's treatment of Elise? Whose actions and reactions, given their partner's disease, do you support?
9. Eric says to Andrew, "Everyone deserves a second chance." How does the idea of second chances play out in Vanishing Acts? Are there any characters who deserve a second chance and don't get one? And, conversely - are there any characters who do get a second chance - and squander it?
10. Elise tells Delia, "If you had grown up with me, this is one of the things I would have tried to teach you: marry a man who loves you more than you love him. Because I have done both now, and when it is the other way around, there is no spell in the world that can even out the balance." Discuss this in terms of Delia's relationships with both Eric and Fitz. Which man do you think Delia should be with, and why?
11. Both Delia and Sophie quickly develop a close relationship with Ruthann. When Ruthann commits suicide, Delia is there to witness it. Why does she not try to stop Ruthann? What does Delia come to realize about herself from this experience?
12. Many of the chapters told from Andrew's point of view occur while he is in prison, "where everyone reinvents himself." What do these scenes, which depict in graphic detail the harsh realities of life behind bars, reveal about Andrew? What do they add to the overall storyline?
13. Right versus wrong is a dominant theme in Vanishing Acts--whether Andrew was right or wrong to kidnap Delia, whether Eric is right or wrong to hide his continued drinking from Delia, whether Delia is right or wrong not to stop Ruthann. How do the multiple perspectives in the story blur these lines and show how two people can view the same situation completely different? Were there any instances where you changed your mind about something in the story after reading a different character's viewpoint?
14. Fitz tells Delia, "I think you're angry at yourself, for not being smart enough to figure this out all on your own...If you don't want someone to change your life for you again, Dee, you've got to change it yourself." How do Fitz's words make Delia see her circumstances differently?
15. Ruthann introduces Delia to the Hopi creation myth, which suggests that humans have outgrown the world four times already, and are about to inhabit a fifth. Do most people outgrow their origins? Is reinvention part of the human experience? How do each of the characters' actions support or disprove this?
16. At one point, we learn that Fitz has not been writing about Andrew's trial, but about Delia. In fact, when he reads the first few pages to her, we can recognize them as the first few pages of this book. How does this affect the story you read? Is Fitz a reliable narrator?
17. Much is made of the nature of memory - whether it is stored physically, whether it can be conjured at will, whether it can be organically triggered or planted. Ultimately, do you believe Delia's recovered memories at the end of the book? Why or why not?
18. How are each of the main characters--Delia, Fitz, Eric, Andrew, and Elise--most changed by the events that take place? Where do you envision the characters five years from now?
5774980
Posted January 2, 2011
with the person 2 reviews down from me giving everything away, why bother buying the book? please dont do that. youre doing a real disservice to the author and to those of us who would have liked to find out what happened ourselves. a review tells what you thought of it, it doesnt retell the story and ruin it for others. thanks.
10 out of 10 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Wow! This is one book that left me feeling so deeply, it's almost hard to put into words. Its the first time I've read a book by Ms. Picoult. I read it for my book club, and it's not one I would have normaly selected to read on my own... and I would have missed out. So many things stand out to me about this book. The presentation of the story from several of the character's perspective is nothing short of literary genius. It affords you the reader a fuller, broader, more well rounded story because it's all in the first person. The second thing that stands out for me was the amount of research that went into this story. Kudos to Ms. Picoult for a job exceptionally done. It added to the vibrant fabric of this well crafted story in such a natural way that it only enhanced the experience of reading it. And of course there was the story itself. I could talk about the story, the characters, the revelations. But honestly all I can think of is love. The love of a father for his daughter. The bond that such a love can create. It's about when your life is put on trial and under the microscope, what realizations, enlightenments do you come away with. If you haven't read a Ms. Picoult book start here. STATS: EBook pagers (Nook):359
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted June 8, 2010
I Also Recommend:
I loved this book by Jodi! Even though the other reviews say its unrealistic, i think its something you dont really expect. You should read it anyways! You be the judge of this book (:
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.bookworm2694
Posted May 6, 2010
I Also Recommend:
After reading the back cover of this book I was intrigued. It sounded like an adult version of Face on the Milk Carton which I loved. It turned out to be nothing like this. I felt that the plot line ended up being confusing and not very interesting. She wasted a lot of time writing about Indian folklore that had nothing to do with the plot. The main character was unlikable, stringing along two men throughout the entire book and her personality was unrealistic. The plot twist at the end also was very rushed and didn't seem to fit in with the novel at all. Overall not one of Picoult's best books. I would not suggest reading this book unless you wanted a frivolous non stimulating novel for the beach. Nineteen Minutes and My Sister's Keeper were MUCH better.
2 out of 4 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.LucyBH
Posted December 5, 2012
With this book I was sometimes wondering if some of the stuff should be there, IE how to make meth??? It was fine enough description that Andrew (father) was a chemist or should we say had a pharmaceutical degree, but I truly did not care to know what items, steps, and process that is involved in the making of meth. Please give me a break! I also did not care to read some of the poems or violence that took place in the prison, even thou it did exposed me to things that could and probably does happen in the prison system. While all the rest of the story is fine and actually quite interesting to read.
It was written from each persons perspectives and was nice format to read. I enjoyed to have an exposure of different personalities and the thinking process behind the deeds with memories of the past interwoven in the mix. It was quite creating to present it in such insightful way. Not till the very end of the story where it finally filled the last peaces of the puzzle to some unexplained behavior and missing pieces.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted July 24, 2012
All of Ms. Picoult's book deal with really issuse, this book is no different. It is wonderfully written wirh strong clear voices. One of her finest books. Tugs at your heart.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Can't stop reading . . . Incredible read!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted February 24, 2011
this was definately worth reading, it covered all emotions.. i cried got angry ect. makes you think about the difficult decissions people have to face every day and how they are able to cope with the cards they've been dealt.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.This book was very good. Once again Jodi Piccoult takes what one would think of as a black and white issue and she leads you through all of the grey areas. I loved it!!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted September 12, 2009
I orginally bought this as a gift for my daughter, she loved it. She gave it to me afterwards. We both love Jodi Picoult and have read several of her books. Would highly recommend!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted July 18, 2009
I was given a copy of this book to read and have just fallen in love with the authors style of writing. If you are looking for a great book to spend a few hours reading, I highly reccommend this one! I look forward to reading other books that she has written.
1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.I didn't even bother finishing this one. I have loved every other Jodi Picoult book I've read, but this one. There was something about the main character (Delia) that got on my nerves. And everyone else in the book was so in love with her. I say skip this one and pick up another one of Picoult's awesome books instead.
1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Posted July 6, 2008
I have read many Jodi Picoult books and this one is at the bottom of my list. The concept of the story, a child being kidnapped and never knowing it, was very unique but could have been written much better. The jail stories and Indian tribal stories seemed pointless to me and I found myself constantly skimming through them. I wish Picoult would have explored Delia and her mother's relationshp more as well. Then the twist at the end of the trial, for me, was very predictable and felt like it was just thrown in as an after thought. My last annoyance, being an Arizonian, was with Picoult's exxageration of Phoenix's 'barren desert' landscape. There is actually a lot of greenery, just not the usual greenery many poeple are used to.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted April 26, 2005
I liked this book and it's characters. I sometimes got sick of the narrators switching each chapter, but I liked the Dee and Andrew chapters a lot. I also felt as if there was too much history on the Native American ways. Overall I enjoyed the plot and would recommend this book. I have already started 'My Sister's Keeper' by Picoult.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted December 19, 2012
This is deff a page turner. It was very interesting and I like the whole mystery and trying to figure out how the story will end kind of theme.
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Posted December 13, 2012
Could not put this book down!!! Great story
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted June 23, 2012
It was pretty good overall. Likable characters. Not sure what the point was of all the Native American references and stories. But good story overall.
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Posted May 20, 2012
I loved this book! Its a great book!
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted April 11, 2012
I love reading Jodi Picoult books and this is another great story! This novel would make a great movie as well!l
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Posted March 20, 2012
I really liked this book!!! It is one of my favorites Jodi Picoult wrote because it did not have a disapointing ending. I read Handle with Care and really liked that book but the ending just made me so mad I ended up not liking the book because of the ending. A few books Jodi wrote ended that way. The ending of this book is very good and is a page turner all through out the novel. I would highly recomend it!!! Great Job Picoult!!!!!
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Overview
New York Times bestselling author Jodi Picoult is widely acclaimed for her ability to tap into the hearts and minds of real people. Now she explores what happens when a young woman's past -- a past she didn't even know she had -- catches up to her just in time to threaten her future.
Delia Hopkins has led a charmed life. Raised in rural New Hampshire by her widowed father, Andrew, she now has a young daughter, a handsome fiancé, and her own search-and-rescue bloodhound, which ...