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Please Note: I received an advance audio copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This did not influence the opinions in my review in any way.
Synopsis (from Goodreads):
The Vignes twin sisters
will always be identical. But after growing up together in a small,
southern black community and running away at age sixteen, it's not just
the shape of their daily lives that is different as adults, it's
everything: their families, their communities, their racial identities.
Many years later, one sister lives with her black daughter in the same
southern town she once tried to escape. The other secretly passes for
white, and her white husband knows nothing of her past. Still, even
separated by so many miles and just as many lies, the fates of the twins
remain intertwined. What will happen to the next generation, when their
own daughters' storylines intersect?
Weaving together multiple
strands and generations of this family, from the Deep South to
California, from the 1950s to the 1990s, Brit Bennett produces a story
that is at once a riveting, emotional family story and a brilliant
exploration of the American history of passing. Looking well beyond
issues of race, The Vanishing Half considers the lasting
influence of the past as it shapes a person's decisions, desires, and
expectations, and explores some of the multiple reasons and realms in
which people sometimes feel pulled to live as something other than their
origins.
Review:
I've heard of The Vanishing Half before I saw it on offer from Penguin Audio. I was hesitant because I didn't want to read a "heavy" book right now. But when my book club chose it, I grudgingly loaded it up. Yes, this is a serious book. But it's also a epic family saga you can lose yourself in. How much do we really know our family? How much are people willing to give up to get the lives they want? Some of this book made me very uncomfortable. But it also was a book that made me think. It was definitely worth my time.
What I Liked:
Narrator:
Shayla Small does a wonderful job with creating distinct characters. She projects each character's emotions with clarity and empathy. I especially liked that she didn't overdue it with the male voices. Her performance was subtle, but effective.
Time Eras:
The novel takes place in various eras from the nineteen-fifties to the nineteen nineties. Each era is distinct from the clothing to the the attitudes about race and gender. While these things change, the older characters particularly do not. This is common. But showing the different times gives these character's staunch views a context that helps us understand them better.
Characters:
Desiree and Stella are twins who dream of a better life away from their small town. But other than their desire to leave, they could not be more different. Desiree is the more dominant personality, speaking for Stella and pushing for them to run away. But silent Stella is more of a quite planner. She wants to make her own way, not just away from Mallard, their hometown, but away from Desiree as well. I liked that these two twins were very different from each other. It was their experiences that shaped who they were, not their biology.
I liked Jude and Reese (although I did have some issues with their relationship). Jude was determined and worked so hard to obtain her dreams, while Reese was just surviving until he met Jude. Together, they make a life. I was so pleased because they deserved to be happy.
Kennedy, Stella's daughter, is the opposite of Jude. Everything is given to her and she can't appreciate what she has. Unlike Jude, Kennedy is constantly running from career to career to find meaning in her life. But, again, they are shaped by their experiences. Jude comes from a loving home, while Kennedy's upbringing is filled with lies and parents who can't seem to show their feelings.
What I Was Mixed About:
Improbable Situation:
I was very conflicted about Jude's relationship with Reese. While I loved how their relationship grew over the years, there was a big secret that prevented them from truly becoming close. I found it improbable that Jude didn't question their lack of intimacy, given that she had already been with a man. Eventually, she must have understood. But given the buildup, the book never had a scene where Jude and Reese confront this issue. I would have liked to see how Jude and Reese finally dealt with this. If you're going to make this situation so prominent, you need to follow through.What I Didn't Like:
Characters:
While the other characters grow and develop, Stella remains mostly stagnant. Yes, she did grow from being a housewife to becoming a teacher. But I wanted her to come to terms with her big secret. She has done something extreme to obtain a comfortable life. But, aside from crushing guilt, she never really deals with it. I really liked Stella and wanted her to make things right.
TRIGGER WARNING: Extreme racist violence, use of the "N" word, and other forms of racism.
Rating:
Release Date: June 2nd, 2020
Author: Brit Bennett
Genre: Historical Fiction
Audio Publisher: Penguin Audio
Audio Length: 11 hrs, 35 mins
Narrator: Shayna Small
Print Publisher: Riverhead Books
Page Length: 343 Pages
Source: Penguin Audio
Format: Audiobook
Recommendation: I family saga that will sweep you away. Be aware of use of the "N" word and other forms of racism.
