Table of Contents
Book Review
I chose The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett because it has received numerous accolades, including the Orwell Prize, nominations for the Women’s Prize for Fiction (2021), the Goodreads Choice Award for Historical Fiction (2020), and recognition from Long Island Reads (2021), among others.
Set in 1983, this powerful novel explores identity, race, and the consequences of the choices we make. It follows the Vignes twins, Desiree and Stella, who grow up in Mallard, a town of light-skinned African Americans. After running away at sixteen, their lives diverge dramatically—Desiree returns to Mallard with her dark-skinned daughter, Jude, while Stella passes for white, creating a new life rooted in secrecy.
The story shines in its character development, particularly through the emotional complexities of both sisters. Desiree is resilient but marked by regret, while Stella’s journey explores the cost of denying one’s heritage. Their daughters, Jude and Kennedy, further enrich the narrative with their own struggles around identity.
With a fluid timeline and shifting perspectives, the novel captures different eras and settings, addressing themes like colourism, systemic racism, and the American Dream.
In essence, The Vanishing Half is a deeply moving exploration of race, family, and self-definition—showing how personal decisions echo across generations.
Book Review
- I chose this book because it has received numerous accolades, including the Orwell Prize, nominations for the Women’s Prize for Fiction (2021) and the Goodreads Choice Award for Historical Fiction (2020), as well as being recognized by Long Island Reads (2021) and many others.
- The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett is a compelling exploration of identity, race, and the impact of the choices we make in life.
- Set in the year 1983, the narrative weaves together the lives of the Vignes twins, Desiree and Stella, who grow up in the small, insular town of Mallard, Louisiana. Mallard is a unique community where the residents are light-skinned African Americans, a detail that significantly shapes the twins’ destinies.
- Desiree and Stella’s live changes dramatically after they run away from home at sixteen. Desiree returns to Mallard years later with her dark-skinned daughter, Jude, highlighting the town’s obsession with colourism. In contrast, Stella passes for white, creating a new life of privilege and secrecy, leaving her past—and her sister—behind.
- The novel strength lies on how the characters are built through their internal struggles with authenticity and empathy. Like Desiree is portrayed as resilient yet haunted by her choices, while Stella’s life is a study in the costs of denying one’s heritage. The secondary characters, including their daughters Jude and Kennedy, add depth to the narrative, each grappling with their identities in a world that seeks to define them by race and class.
- The novel seamlessly shifts perspectives and timelines, capturing the essence of different eras and settings—from the oppressive heat of the South to the bustling streets of Los Angeles.
- “The Vanishing Half” is more than a story about race, it poses profound questions about the ways in which we define ourselves and the lengths to which we will go to protect or reinvent our identities.
- The novel also addresses broader societal issues, such as systemic racism, colourism, and the pursuit of the American Dream, making it both a personal and political narrative.
- In conclusion, “The Vanishing Half” by Brit Bennett intricately weaves together the themes of race, identity, and family. The novel explores how the decisions made by one generation can profoundly impact the lives of the next. Through the contrasting lives of twin sisters Desiree and Stella, the story delves into the complexities of racial identity, the enduring bonds of family, and the far-reaching consequences of personal choices.
Book Review
I chose The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett because it has received numerous accolades, including the Orwell Prize, nominations for the Women’s Prize for Fiction (2021), the Goodreads Choice Award for Historical Fiction (2020), and recognition from Long Island Reads (2021), among others.
Set in 1983, this powerful novel explores identity, race, and the consequences of the choices we make. It follows the Vignes twins, Desiree and Stella, who grow up in Mallard, a town of light-skinned African Americans. After running away at sixteen, their lives diverge dramatically—Desiree returns to Mallard with her dark-skinned daughter, Jude, while Stella passes for white, creating a new life rooted in secrecy.
The story shines in its character development, particularly through the emotional complexities of both sisters. Desiree is resilient but marked by regret, while Stella’s journey explores the cost of denying one’s heritage. Their daughters, Jude and Kennedy, further enrich the narrative with their own struggles around identity.
With a fluid timeline and shifting perspectives, the novel captures different eras and settings, addressing themes like colourism, systemic racism, and the American Dream.
In essence, The Vanishing Half is a deeply moving exploration of race, family, and self-definition—showing how personal decisions echo across generations.
What I don’t like about this book?
- Some readers may find the pacing uneven. The novel’s shifts between different characters and timelines can sometimes disrupt the narrative flow.
About Author
Brit Bennett is American based writer who lives in New York. Her debut novel was The Mothers (2016) was New York Times Best Seller. Her second novel The Vanishing Half (2020) was also New York Times Best Seller and was also chosen as a Good Morning America Book Club selection. The Vanishing Half was selected as one of The New York Times ten best books of 2020 and shortlisted for the 2021 The Vanishing Half was selected as one of The New York Times ten best books of 2020 and shortlisted for the 2021 Women’s Prize for Fiction.
Bennett was raised in Southern California and earned an undergraduate degree in English from Stanford University. She later attended the University of Michigan for her MFA. She also studied at Oxford University
Conclusion
The Vanishing Half is a richly layered novel that interweaves family, history, and identity, illustrating how the choices of one generation can shape the destiny of the next.
