A review by mezzano
The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett

challenging emotional reflective sad slow-paced
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Like most family sagas, Brit Bennett's The Vanishing Half feels as long and slow as the river. Two Black twins, one who is light-skinned and the other who is dark-skinned, forge their own ways into adulthood. One woman grows into a Black woman living through the racism and hardship of the mid 20th century. The other is able to pass as a white woman, and raises a family without even her husband ever knowing the truth. While the twins parted ways long ago, as they raise their own families and live their own lives, time brings memories surging to the present often. This story is reflective on its subject material, looking at how race and truth affect their families (both near and far away). 

I truly loved watching the twins grow older and watch how their level of privilege affected their lives. Tough questions were asked about racial injustice and colorism as well as the extent that living comfortable is worth lies and forgetting who you are. This would make a great book club read, where all the details and histories can be written down and unwoven.    
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