The Vanishing Half

The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett

Read February 2021 - Zoom Reading Circle

I really enjoyed this book.  It was very readable - easy flowing - yet full of characters and plot. It was a tiny bit hard to follow at times because of jumping back and forth in time, but it did not bother me.  It was a fascinating story about two light skinned black sisters who take very different paths - and all the ripples from their decisions.  It is a story not just about racial identity and bigotry, but also about the intricacies of family history and relationships and expectations.  There were so many heavy topics woven into the story, but not in a heavy way.  The author was quite effective at leading the reader to see almost all of the characters through a lens of empathy.  It is a book I still think about. 

The Vanishing Half counts the terrible costs of bigotry and secrecy - NPR article

https://www.npr.org/2020/06/03/868197705/the-vanishing-half-counts-the-terrible-costs-of-bigotry-and-secrecy

Brit Bennett - Colorism and Racial Passing in The Vanishing Half - The Daily Show

Author Brit Bennet talks about her book The Vanishing Half - Good Morning America