This book touched me on a level that I had not expected when I purchased. The storyline intrigued me, and with Black History Month upon us, I decided to actively seek out black authors more intentionally when seeking new books to read. So many important topics and concepts are covered in The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett, that I almost don’t know where to start.
The major plot line centers around two twins from a town called Mallard, so small it cannot be found on a map. In this town, founded by a now free, once slave, is designed to be a place for each generation of children to be lighter than the last. Colorism is a strong theme throughout the book. The townspeople of Mallard consistently express how light skin is better than dark skin, and the those with darker skin are believed to be trouble. For the founders 16-year-old descendants, they dream of only escaping the hold of the small town life they have been bred for.
Desiree and Stella run away one night and head off for New Orleans to avoid the life of working for white families that has been thrust upon them. Their mother, single after a tragic event takes her husband, forces the girls to drop out of school and work full time to help cover the household expenses and bills. The two girls strike off on their own and after some time, end up moving in different directions.
Stella, having realized earlier in her life that she can pass for white, decides to leave her family behind and passes as a white woman. Desiree, on the other hand, marries the darkest man she can find, and ends up returning to the town of Mallard to raise her own dark daughter, Jude, in the town that celebrates lightness.
While Stella’s dreams of freedom as a white woman come true, she spends her life engrossed in maintaining her lie. She had lingering trauma relating to the death of her father and another trauma she experienced while working in the white family’s household. She fears her husband will leave her if her ever discovers who she truly is and that her daughter, Kennedy, will never forgive her life long lie.
Racism and Colorism are the main themes intertwined throughout The Vanishing Half, however Brit Bennett also touches on domestic violence, LGBTQ+, identity, and self esteem issues. While none of the issues can be fully meted out in a single novel, Bennett expertly introduces the topics in a way sure to linger with the reader and truly encourages self-reflection.
Regardless of race, I think any person can empathize with the emotions Stella struggles with in making the decision to pass as white. Early in life, she realizes that opportunities exist for her as a white woman that would not as a black woman. The emotional toll that comes from the emphasis on being as light skinned as possible engrains a deep fear in all of the people of the town, but when she sees how easy it is to pass for white, she embraces the new opportunities immediately.
On the other hand, Desiree, who has dreamed all her life of escaping the small and boring town, never dreams of living life as a white woman and feels a multitude of confusion at how her twin is able to leave her in the past and claim a life that isn’t hers to have. She marries a dark skinned man and her child, Jude, is born with the skin of her father. When her situation changes, Desiree is forced to return home to Mallard with Jude to start over. Life for Jude in the town is difficult and the children constantly tease her for having dark skin. She battles with who she is and who she can be in the future.
After a chance meeting, Desiree finds her cousin, Kennedy and the secrets of the past come to light. I wish there had been more time to delve deeper into the issues presented in The Vanishing Half, though Bennett does an excellent job of planting the seeds and watering them just enough to keep them growing in the reader’s mind long after the book has been closed.
Laurel E. Cole 
Leave a comment