I’m back! Yes, already! I know, who am I? 2021 might be 2020’s little sister but I am trying my best to keep with my goals I set and one of them is my reading goal and I think I am doing pretty great! On Super Bowl Sunday, I spent my time walking around a bookstore – it was perfect. I picked up The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett after seeing a few friends talk about how great of a book it was. They were not wrong! Excited to share my 6th book read in 2021!!
Book 6 Read in 2021
The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett
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 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.
My Review of The Vanishing Half
I really enjoyed this book, I especially loved the character development and writing style. Let me start by saying, I did not meet my 50 pages per day with this book – I felt like I was a slow reader on this one. I found myself taking my time and really getting into the feelings of this story. I enjoy chic lit, beach reads and while this book would be a great vaca book, this is not some fluff book to keep you busy by the pool. This book is full of about every emotion possible.
The twins…alike and yet so different. Desiree seemed to be the main focus of the storyline but Stella challenges our thinking. Her actions, her decisions…was she wrong for what she did? I do not want to give anything way but I found myself checking my privilege a lot through out this book. Brit Bennett was fantastic at this…challenging our view and thoughts on Racism.
My only complaint about this book was the quick and “pretty” ending. Maybe I wanted more? Maybe I needed to see the real life version? I am not sure. While you might take a little time to read this book, I promise the mingling of the different generations through out the book will have you wanting to know everything about this family and the path they decided to choose.
SMASHING THOSE GOALS
Book 6 in the books!! While I did not burn through this book like some people said they did, it was so good and I think it needs to be added to your must read list. Keeping that reading momentum going! Off to a super start for 2021! I have found that setting a goal of reading at least 50 pages a day is really helping me this year. I am always looking for new books to add to my reading list so please share some books you have really enjoyed recently. Make sure you check out my 2021 Reading List and Goal too. Maybe you can add some of my books to your list this year!
WHAT BOOK ARE YOU CURRENTLY READING?
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