Cover Image: The Vanishing Half

The Vanishing Half

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Member Reviews

The Vanishing Half was a compulsively readable and incredibly beautifully written book. I really enjoyed The Mothers and this one was just as good. The characters are full of depth and the story is profound in the many different avenues it guides your thoughts. I will definitely be handselling this title.

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Yes, deservedly a bestseller. A clever, unpredictable fable that works as a commercial read while always sticking to its careful, thoughtful consideration of race and identity.

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The Vanishing Half explores the lives of twin sisters, one of whom chooses to live her life as a white woman and one who chooses to live her life as a Black woman. The story follows the two women and the choices they make in love, parenting, and life in general. Their choices affect the lives of their children as well. A very well-written and thought-provoking story.

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An astounding tale of a splintered family living parallel lives. Race, gender, class - it’s all covered in this amazing book.

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There were so many coincidences in this book that it definitely makes one think about fate. The overall concept of this book blew my mind. This book is for anyone who felt like an other. There were so many quotes in it I loved. I'm not sure what's holding holding me back from giving 5 stars. Maybe because it's so hyped up; it can be hard to live up to. However, I 100% recommend this to everyone.

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Although the story was a bit slow at times, I really enjoyed this book! I was invested in each character’s story and how their lives and paths connected over time. This is a book about family, generations, loneliness, race, class, and gender. Beautifully written and thought provoking - would recommend!

I would like to thank NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

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Different in scope, but no lesser in ambition, Bennet delivers another poignant story about what it means to be a woman of color in a world pretending to be color blind.

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The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett is by far one of the best novels I’ve read in the first half of 2020. It’s a multigenerational journey from the 1950s to the 1980s into the lives of the Vignes family, down-home Black folks who live in a segregated Louisiana town called Mallard. What’s quite unique about this community is that all the inhabitants are light-skinned Blacks, probably one shade darker than vanilla, and whose founder created the town after his freedom from slavery. For generations, the intended and understood goal is to keep future generations “light, bright, and damn near white”—not stated in the novel. And herein lies the beginning of the controversy for twin sisters Desiree and Stella Vignes. They both begin to realize with unmistakable clarity that their fair skin does not protect them from the harms of mid-twentieth century racism, poverty, and other forms of societal deprivation. Each of the sister-halves takes an untrodden path with long-lasting and sometimes unexpected results.
The “Half” in the novel’s title sets the stage for dualities not only for the sisters but also for others in the story line. There are comings and goings; secrets and frankness; complacency and ambition; and denial of family and the search for self. Coupled with the ensnarements of racism, sibling rivalry, gender identity, classism, colorism, secrecy, and complex relationships, the story never fails to educate and entertain.
Bennett, as a gifted novelist, is at her best here in creating an undeniably beautiful, raw fictional world.
With sincere thanks to the publisher The Penguin Group Riverhead Books and NetGalley for an opportunity to read this novel, which I hope will win numerous prizes!

Shirlene Bridgewater
AKA Writing Soul (Goodreads) and sbwritingreadingsoul (Instagram)

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This book is so timely. It's about racial identity, choices and circumstances. I love Brit Bennett's writing. The characters are complex and I wasn't able to put this book down.

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I was eagerly awaiting this novel after The Mothers. This is one of the best books of the year. It is a breathtaking achievement of writing. I would highly recommend for readers who love well-drawn characters and immersive fiction.

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Awestruck by everything about this book... The lyrical writing, the memorable and fully-realized characters, and the skill with which the author weaves their stories and links them together over generations. I'm humbled to have been able to read this and will share widely with library readers - especially for fellow readers of Jesmyn Ward and Celeste Ng, I think. A stunningly-written and very timely story from Brit Bennett - I'll be going back to read her other novel, The Mothers. Many thanks to the publisher for this copy!

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How easy it was to slip into a different life than the one destined for her. That was Stella. How hard it was to return to the life she had run away from. That was Desiree. The story of identical twins, light skin Black women who lived very different lives from young adulthood onwards. The one with the “easy life“, always looking over her shoulder while hiding in plain sight. The one with the harder life, lived authentically. Well written but tragic book.

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The Vanishing Half is so many things it's hard to come up with the appropriate words to describe this novel. I was riveted throughout and at times wanted to chuck the book across the room. Ultimately, I very much enjoyed this tale and am looking forward to reading more of Bennett's works.

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'The Vanishing Half' is beautifully written, heartbreaking and very readable. It follows the story of the twin Vignes sisters who grow up in a small, southern black community.

Desiree yearns to break free from the dull life of Mallard and convinces quieter, more obedient Stella to run away with her. However, it is Stella who sees the possibility of "passing" as white, and leaves her sister and her old life behind. Desiree ends up back in Mallard as a young adult, fleeing an abusive husband with her young daughter in tow.

Alternating between the perspectives of Stella, Desiree, Desiree's daughter Jude and Stella's daughter Kennedy, we see the impacts of the twins' choices on their lives and the lives of their daughters.

'The Vanishing Half' follows Bennett's excellent debut, The Mothers, Bennett's talent as a storyteller is nothing short of stunning. I am eagerly anticipating whatever she writes next. I will be widely recommending this book.

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Did you say book discussion? This book is a must read with well developed characters, storyline and thought provoking messages. Loved it!

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Love, love, LOVE the Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett. One of my favorite books of the year. I enjoyed the characters, found them relatable and wanted more of their stories. Such a beautifully well told story. Highly recommend.

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I loved The Mothers and because of the hype, I think my expectations of this book were unrealistic. It was good. It was a character driven novel and I found it slow in parts, although I appreciated the issues that are raised: colorism, transsexuality, issues of family and identity. It was good and a book I am not likely to forget.

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Good summer read. Being a twin, I found this book fascinating. Also. the concept of "Passing" is a subject that I have read about in nonfiction but never incorporated into a fiction book. Will plan to read the author's first book, also, good book for book club discussions.

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Everyone in the small Louisiana town knows the Vignes twin girls. The lightest of the light-skinned residents of the town, the girls run away at the age of sixteen, and their lives diverge. One returns home with her daughter, while a continent away her sister has married well and for all intents and purposes is passing for white. Everyone who reads this one will love it. If you are unfamiliar with Brit Bennett then reading The Mothers by her is also a must.

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Twins Desiree and Stella make choices that lead them on totally different paths. I enjoyed the book, but the ending felt too rushed.

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