Brit Bennett

I was disappointed by this novel, The Vanishing Half. It is beautifully written; Brit Bennett has a wonderful way with words, but the story in the book did not meet my hopes and ultimately, bored me.

Desiree and Stella are identical twin sisters, born and raised in Mallard, Louisiana, where nothing ever happens. When they are sixteen, they run away together to New Orleans, and then they run away from each other. The book documents their separate lives, the lives of their children, and to a lesser extent the lives of their partners, husbands, neighbours.

Just like nothing ever happens in Mallard, Louisiana, I found that nothing really happens in the book. It's just family, falling out and then back in, it's decisions made and lies told and unravelled, and there isn't any big moment that you can hang your hat on or view as the tipping point of the story you're reading.

I really wanted to like this book, but I didn't.… (more)

The premise of this novel is interesting: Black twins take different paths in life, where one lives as a white person. They and their daughters cross paths again causing everyone to reevaluate life and racial identity. Theres another interesting side story about a trans man. The writing was lightweight, not bad, but not spectacular either. The last few chapters felt rushed and like the themes and characters that were being developed suddenly got thrown down on paper in a messy way with lots of loose threads left unpulled. The question “do we get to choose our own identities?” is an interesting one and I wish it had been more adequately explored.… (more)

This family drama explores identity, secrets, and forgiveness. The Vignes family was irreparably damaged by violence, loss and separation. As the twins embark on a new life, they must shed their past
Stella and her twin Desiree leave their small town without saying goodbye to family or friends. One eventually returns, running from an unhappy past. The other twin starts a new life "passing over". But Stella and Desiree aren't the only ones who have remade themselves, leaving behind an old identity.… (more)