historical fiction
The Vanishing Half was a family story about a few generations of women
from a small town in Louisiana which was home to a population of light-skinned
black people. Twin teenage girls run away together to New Orleans to escape the
misery of small-town poverty and inevitability. Then one of the twins disappears from New
Orleans, choosing to split from her old life and live as a white woman. The
other returns home fourteen years after she ran away.
Brit Bennett's novel has a creative storyline with engaging
characters and situations. The characters have to find a way to survive with the decision they made. Taking place from the 1950s through the 1980s, the novel touches on
racial tensions and desires/needs to live in which they are in control.
There is kindness and there is evil. There are good intentions and heartless
actions, wise decisions and poor ones. It’s a really interesting tale.
My main complaint is with the timeframe jumping around a
bit, especially near the end of the novel. It got confusing. But it was a good
read and I enjoyed it. However, I am surprised it won the 2020 Goodreads Choice Award for Historical Fiction. I enjoyed several other nominated novels much better.
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