This story contains themes from many strands of life: race, grief, family, sexuality, LGBTQI+ issues, authenticity, estrangement, speaking lies or truth, and self-determination. None of these predominate in the narrative; rather, they seem to dwell together in just the right amount. Perhaps that’s why it’s won so much acclamation since being published a year ago.
Bennett’s tale begins in a small town in Louisiana with an African-American family under Jim Crow. The father was lynched with his daughters watching, and the mother raised twin girls alone. Eventually, because of lack of educational opportunity, the girls ran away to New Orleans. Both eventually married, and each had a child. One meandered to Los Angeles; the other found her way back home to care for her mother. The one in LA “passed” as white and tried to keep her true ancestry secret even from her husband and daughter. The one who returned home maintained her racial identity.
Obviously, such a setup provides much room for twists in the plot. And this story does twist and turn away. The granddaughters end up meeting each other and learning how to speak the truth to each other as they grow into independent, grown women. Above all, this story admonishes us with the motif that honesty is indeed the best policy in life. Those who are most honest in this book seem the most happy and most whole.
In an era where racial discord continues to haunt the American people, this story reminds us that inner traits, not skin-color, define our humanity most. It plays with the idea of race almost as an enticement, but humane themes hit more deeply in all our hearts. And it reminds us that no matter how much we create and re-create our identities, the past will always remain with us. Even if the past vanishes because we hide it. Especially if it vanishes.
This book’s strength is that by touching on so many walks of life, it can have relatively universal appeal. Those who object to modern themes might not like how it touches on cutting-edge issues, but maybe these are the right people who need to be exposed to these emerging issues. The subtle touches convinced me that this book is indeed worth all of the acclaim. Nicely done!
The Vanishing Half: A Novel
By Brit Bennett
Copyright (c) 2020
Riverhead Books
ISBN13 9780525536291
Page Count: 343
Genre: Fiction
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