Paperback, 400 pages
Published Feb. 1, 2022 by Riverhead Books.
Brit Bennett’s chart topping novel, The Vanishing Half, is a story that tracks the lives of twin African American twin sisters who, after witnessing the murder of their father, run away at age 16. One sister begins passing as white and the other sister remains true to her identity. The Vanishing Half explores the intricacies of identity, family, and race in a provocative, but compassionate way.
This book was gorgeous. I won't lie, I didn't expect to see so much of myself in this story, but I really loved the gentle love between Jude and Reese and Desiree and Early. I read this book for them. Stella and Kennedy... Not do much.
A near-perfect novel about identity and how the stories we tell about ourselves both define and disguise us. Modern, nuanced, and rich with deeply-felt language that lingers long afterwards.
