“The Vanishing Half” by Brit Bennett: Book Review
Captivating and vivid, The Vanishing Half wraps a powerful message in a rich, personal story.
If you haven’t read this yet – do! It’s one of my favorite recent reads.
Summary
Twin sisters Desiree and Stella are born in Mallard, a remote Louisiana town of very light-skinned Black people, around 1950. As children, they are inseparable, united by the horror of witnessing their father’s death at the hands of a racist mob.
But after they run away to New Orleans, their lives diverge. Desiree has a daughter and returns to Mallard, where she relives the life her mother led and that she had urgently hoped to escape. Meanwhile, Stella discovers that she is so fair that she can “cross over” to be white, and she disappears into a new life.
Years later, their daughters’ paths converge in unexpected ways, playing out the very different lives they’ve led as a white woman and a Black one.
The Vanishing Half explores what it means that two cousins – not to mention two twin sisters – can live their lives on opposite sides of a stark racial divide. At the same time, it tells a haunting story of how the secrets of the past and family ties stay with you even when you try to build a new life.
Review
This story drew me in from the beginning, immersing me in its world, making the characters come alive, and leaving me pondering the story and meaning for weeks after. An enchanting story and a thought-provoking message intertwine here, two halves essential to the whole.
While the central story of the twins’ divergent lives is fascinating in itself, other characters and events add so much to this. One of my favorite parts of the book was when a Black family moves into Stella’s neighborhood. Most neighborhoods of that time were still largely segregated, so this causes uproar. After years of striving to fit in and keep her own past secret, Stella has a complex and intense reaction to her new Black neighbor. For me, this vignette said so much about Stella as a character, showing how we all can respond with fear to new situations that leave us feeling vulnerable.
The story is beautifully told, bringing to life a range of characters who develop over time and whose fears and dreams it’s easy to relate to. It’s told from each woman’s point of view, but each section is long enough that you’re immersed in that perspective before moving to the next.
Rating
Overall: 5. One of the best books I’ve read in a while, this is a rich and thought-provoking read.
Audiobook: 5. One of the most captivating audiobooks I’ve listened to in a while. The narrator brings even more life to an already beautifully-written book.
About the author: Brit Bennett
The Vanishing Half is Brit Bennett’s second novel. Her first, The Mothers, is about a young woman who hides a pregnancy with devastating and long-lasting consequences. I haven’t read it, but it’s now on my list. Bennett grew up in Southern California and has won a number of awards including the National Book Foundation’s 5 Under 35.
