Book Review: The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett
Desiree and Stella Vignes are identical fair skinned black sisters who live in the very small predominantly black town of Mallard, Louisiana. Desiree is known for her starlike quality and charisma where Stella is known for her high intellect and docile disposition.
In search of a better and contrastive life, the 16 year old twin sisters implement a plan to run away to the big city of New Orleans. Though the twin sisters’ decision to abscond from their hometown was made as teenagers, the consequences of their choice reverberates within their lives and the lives of their family well over the next 40 years.
This was the first selected book of the #lotsofbookclubs bookclub. I took my time reading this piece because I really wanted to absorb the complexities of each character. The varying ideals of what constitutes a family are so well developed. Some of my most favorite stories and movies are those that dive into the intricacies associated with family dynamics. With this story, I kept going back and forth between if a family is something that you’re born into or if family can be effectively created based on one’s idea of what it means.
Brit Bennett expertly covers elements of race, colorism, identity, and multigenerational trauma. I was very excited to hear this book is being adapted to the small screen by way of HBO. Please read this epoch-making bestseller and learn if one can truly put their past behind them and disappear into a new life unscathed.
Have you already read this? Leave a comment of your thoughts!
-MLW-
Read More Book Reviews
