I got this book during one of the book exchanges my friends and I do every once in a while. I remember seeing this cover a lot and hearing good things about this book, so I was intrigued!
“The Vanishing Half” tells the story of twins, Desiree and Stella. They grow up in a small town called Mallard. The premise of this town in particular is that the people who live there specifically intermarry to have lighter skinned children. This is interwoven throughout the book and comes out in explicit ways when one of the sisters marries a Black man with darker skin, and the other marries a white man.
The twins leave home at a young age to go out on their own and they end up in New Orleans. While both of them seem to be on the same trajectory, Stella goes off on her own once she realizes she can pass as white. The twins lose contact after that, Stella seeming to want to stay hidden and erase her family background.
The book switches between the perspectives of the twins as they age and start their own families, separately from each other. Eventually the book follows the stories of Stella’s daughter, Kennedy, and Desiree’s daughter, Jude.
The whole storyline centers around Desiree trying to track down Stella. Once Desiree gives up, Jude takes over that mission.
Both the sisters and the daughters have their own full storylines, so there is a lot of information to follow in the book. It got a little confusing at times, but as the story went on, it got more engaging.
Also, the side characters in this book add a lot to the story!!
The book has themes of identity, race, and family. It also brings up an interesting conversation about colorism, especially when the book focuses on Stella’s POV. There is a particularly interesting part of the book when a Black family moves into Stella’s white neighborhood. She connects with the woman, Loretta, all while desperately trying to keep the secret of her true background.
Will the twins ever find their way back to each other? Will anyone find out about Stella’s years-long secret? Go find out!
That’s all for now. Talk soon!
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