dailyBooks - The Vanishing Half--A Novel by Brit Bennett--Conversation Starters

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Brit Bennetts

The Vanishing Half

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Introducing The Vanishing Half

T he author's second novel, 'The Vanishing Half: A novel,' is set in the fictional town of Mallard in Louisiana. Mallard came into existence in 1848. The population of Mallard primarily consists of light-skinned African Americans who refuse to be called black. They are not traditionally white but don't want to be treated as Negros. Each successive generation works hard to ensure that the following age will be lighter in complexion. However, Mallard's wealthiest residents continue to work for the whites at lowly jobs. The light-skinned people are looked down upon and sidelined. One of them is a man subjected to extreme cruelty at the hands of whites and lynched twice. He was once attacked on his front yard and the second time while he was recovering in the hospital from the earlier attack.

The Vanishing Half is based upon the twin daughters of the African-American lynched man. They are twins named Desiree and Stella, who were very young when they saw their father's death. The twin sisters are polar opposites though both are light-skinned black girls. Stella loves to read and is dependent on Desiree, who is headstrong and spirited.

Their mother, Adele, worked as a maid. Desiree is stubborn and hates to live in a small town and is desperate to get out of it. However, her sister Stella doesn't seriously entertain the idea until the two girls are faced with the future of working as maids. The girls who were studying in 10th grade are dropped out of school to begin working as maidservants, similar to their mother. Stella had hopes of going to college, but she agrees to Desiree's idea, and they both run away. The town was having its annual celebration of Founders Day, where the citizens were busy in festivities. The twin sisters used this opportunity as a cover to flee.

Both the girls relocate to New Orleans. However, their stay together is short-lived as Stella leaves Desiree alone with only a note behind, stating that she wanted to live her life to the fullest. Desiree works hard and grabs a job at the F.B.I. and moves to D.C. Desiree marries Sam, who worked as an attorney with the Bureau. They have a daughter named Jude, but Desiree wishes to leave Sam due to his abusive nature. Meanwhile, Stella passes as a white and gets a secretarial job. Desiree finds her chance one day and flees to Mallard with her daughter named Jude.

Sam appoints a bounty hunter named Early Jones to locate his wife and gives him a Desiree photo. Early finds Desiree, but he sees her bruised and injured. Early had known Desiree as a teenager, and though he recognizes her, he doesn't update Sam of his findings. On the contrary, when Desiree asks Early to help find Stella, he readily agrees.

Stella has married her boss Blake Sanders and is happily living as a white in a wealthy suburb of Los Angeles. They, too, have a daughter named Kennedy, who has violet eyes. Stella dreads living with Walkers, a black family, who relocate to the neighborhood. Stella soon befriends Loretta Walker, the black woman, and is dying to open up about her black roots. However, Walkers move from their home when the whites continue to harass them.

Jude recognizes Kennedy at a friend's show. She recalls seeing Kennedy with a woman who looked like Jude's mother, Desiree. Jude and Kennedy start talking to each other. When Kennedy insults Jude under the influence of alcohol, Jude snaps back with the details of how she and Kennedy were related. Jude also gives Kennedy a photo of their mothers from the past, which makes Kennedy confront her mother. To her dismay, Stella denies everything, and Kennedy is forced to realize that her mother had lied to her all her life. This frustrates Kennedy, and she relocates to Europe.

Stella wants Jude out of Kennedy's life. Thus she travels to Mallard and approaches Desiree to help her in the same by forbidding Jude to meet Kennedy. Stella hasn't come face to face with her daughter since she stormed out of the house. When Stella finds out that her mother, Adele, was suffering from Alzheimer's disease, she breaks down. She asks forgiveness from Desiree for not being in touch and leaving the family instead of being there for them. Desiree gets emotional and forgives her. However, Stella slips out of the house at night. She also asks Early to sell her wedding ring and use the money in funding the treatment of her mother's ailment. Soon, Kennedy decides to head home and again confronts her mother. This time, Stella is happy to have her daughter back and accepts that she had lied about her past. Stella grows tired of her pseudo-life and of all the lying and opens up to Kennedy, giving her the complete truth of her past life. However, Stella is unsure of opening up to her husband. She asks Kennedy to not reveal everything to her father yet.

Adele passes away after battling the disease for a long time. Jude and Kennedy keep in touch, though their mothers are unaware of the same. Desiree rekindles her relationship with Early, and they both move to Houston.

The novel is considered timely and poignant, given the recent protests raging the United States of America due to police killings of innocent black people.