As a child, Marina Marks lives a nomadic life with her drug-dependent single mother. One day they meet an old woman, a psychic who proclaims that Marina also has “the gift”. This encounter prompts Marina’s mother to exploit her young daughter into “grifting” people who are desperate to know what the future holds for them. For years after her mother’s death Marina, who does NOT believe in psychic abilities, continues to work in Florida as an “intuitive counselor”, using her remarkable powers of observation and perception to build a lucrative career and eventually achieve her goal of settling in California. Before moving to the West coast, however, she reluctantly accepts a valuable ruby ring from one of her regular clients, Mrs. Golden, who begs her to wear the ring, claiming that this is the only way to protect her son from harm. Intending to return the ring after a few months, Marina loses touch with Mrs. Golden and is unable to do so, so she continues to wear the ring to “safeguard” Mrs. Golden’s son. In California she develops a new client base, including a woman desperate for a child, a gay man in love with a psychiatrist who in denial about his sexual orientation, and a philandering businessman. She also falls in love for the first time. Eventually, a series of frightening and enlightening events in Marina’s life lead her to question whether her psychic abilities truly are a “grift” or a gift. Her quest to find meaning in her increasingly strong and disturbing visions captures the reader’s interest, making this a novel that is hard to put down.
The Grift is a well-written and unusual novel and offers something for everyone, including love, murder, paranormal events, arson, and illicit sex. It encompasses several genres, but defies categorization in any one.
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