The Vanishing Half Review

The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett is an adult historical fiction literary novel about the Vignes twins--Desiree and Stella, and their families. The Vignes family is black and they are light-skinned black people. They lived in a town called Mallard, in Lousiana, which was a town with mostly light skinned people. As they were growing up, the sisters were inseparable. Life wasn't always easy, but they had each other. But when they moved to New Orleans to get jobs, Stella decided to pass as a white woman in order to get a job as a secretary. Then she fell in love with her boss, a white man named Blake, and they moved to Los Angeles and had a daughter named Kennedy. Stella decided to lie about her true heritage and family. 

The other sister, Desiree, got in a relationship with a black man named Sam, and had a daughter with him named Jude. Desiree got a divorce from Sam because he treated her poorly, and so she and Jude moved back to Mallard to care for her elderly sick mother, Adele. Desiree also began a new relationship with a man named Early, whom she used to be friends with when they were younger. 

The sisters grow up without any contact for years, and Desiree can't understand why Stella cut her out of her life and won't even come see their ailing mother. 

Then, one day, the daughters, Kennedy and Jude, meet while in college. Well, Jude is actually in college--Kennedy dropped out because she wanted to become a full-time actress. They meet at a party were Jude was catering an after-show party of Kennedy's. It's awkward at first, but pretty soon they get to know each other as Jude starts helping Kennedy out in the dressing rooms before her shows. Then on accident she sees Kennedy's mom Stella, and realizes she looks identical to her mother Desiree. She puts two and two together and realizes Kennedy is her cousin. 

Kennedy had a hunch her mother was lying about her past, and Jude and Kennedy both wish their mothers could meet and reconcile with each other. 

Well, let's just say things get more complicated from there. 

This was a very fascinating book about so many subjects! From race, to gender, to class, and generational trauma. I don't usually read family saga stories, but after reading this one, I want to read more, and more from the author!

The book also has really good LGBT rep. Jude has a boyfriend named Reese who is a trans man, and they both have a friend named Barry, who is gay and works as a drag queen. 

I gave this book 4 stars. It obviously deals with a lot of really heavy stuff, but the story is so well written!

Have you ever read family saga stories? If so, which is your favorite?