The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett
As the weather chilled and the leaves started to turn color, so did our taste in books. We chose The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett.
What makes a family? Having dinner every Sunday at mom’s house? Genetics? What bond ties a family together? These were the conversations we had at book club about this superb book.
Mallard, Louisiana was home to light-skinned blacks who didn’t marry “dark.” The Vignes’ twins, Desiree and Stella, were raised that way. One traumatic night their father was ripped out of their home by a gang of white men for no reason and lynched. This atrocious event scared the twins in different ways and at sixteen they ran away to New Orleans. But after only one year Stella left, disappeared without one word to her twin sister. The book then splits following each twin on their life course.
This book plunges beyond the surface of its characters down to their souls, laying bare their shattered lives.
We talked about how an event in our past affects the present. How it impacts our daily decisions. We were intrigued by their story and wanted to find out more about the twins. Did they find happiness? Do they reunite?
Great book for discussion, which, of course, is always what book club is all about.
Rating: 8.5