The Vanishing Half

The Barnes & Noble Book Club selection for this month was The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett. I love a good generational saga and I found this to be a fascinating exploration of identity. Identical twins Stella and Desiree Vignes live in a small town called Mallard in Louisiana. It was founded by a former slave who was given land after the Civil War by his former owner and biological father. Each generation is lighter than the last and the Vignes twins have creamy skin, hazel eyes, and wavy hair. However, they still experience acts of discrimination and are traumatized when their father is forcibly taken from their house and lynched. They run away to New Orleans at the age of sixteen and, even though they are inseparable, their paths diverge in dramatic fashion. Desiree marries a dark-skinned man who abuses her and she eventually returns to Mallard with her daughter. Stella gets a job in an office by passing for white. She marries her boss and moves to California with him without telling her sister. She lives a life of luxury and privilege but is terrified that her husband and daughter will find out the truth about her past. Their paths converge again when their daughters meet twenty years later. Desiree's daughter Jude, who has been ostracized as a dark-skinned girl in a town that values light skin, is attending UCLA on a track scholarship with the hopes of becoming a doctor and Stella's daughter Kennedy, who has had every advantage, is adrift and acting in a low-budget production at a local theater. Both sisters must face the consequences of their actions and come to terms with how their choices have affected everyone in their lives, especially their daughters. I found it interesting that while both sisters are trapped by their choices, Desiree has limited opportunities in her hometown and Stella is plagued by loneliness and fear, only one sister finds happiness. The narrative is told from multiple perspectives and, while I didn't like some of their actions, I found all of the characters to be incredibly sympathetic. There was a virtual discussion with the author last night via Facebook which was fantastic (although I really miss the interaction with my local book club members and can't wait to see them again). We talked quite a bit about the title which, at face value, is about the fact that the twins lose a piece of themselves when they are separated but Bennett also spoke about the fact that almost every character loses part of themselves as a result of racism, classism, abuse, gender, and even disease. Many also asked about the ambiguous ending and, although it really bothered me at first because I wanted more resolution, I can now appreciate the fact that these characters must continue on the path that they have chosen. It is a profoundly moving and thought-provoking story that couldn't be more timely and I highly recommend it!

Note:  Next month's selection is Florence Adler Swims Forever by Rachel Beanland.  It sounds really interesting and I am excited to read it!  There will be a virtual discussion (have I mentioned that I miss interacting with my local book club?) with the author via Facebook on Aug. 4.  Go here for more information.