The Vanishing Half

This book follows the lives of two twins born black, but exceptionally light-skinned; one twin lives her life as a black woman, marrying a black man and having a “blue-black” child; the other lives passing as a white woman, marrying into WASP-y aristocracy and having a white child. The book unfolds as a fascinating meditation on identity, the social construct of race in America, and the inescapable bonds of family and history. Bennett paints a clear picture of the catch-22 black women face in America: to live life unencumbered by racism – to be truly free – a black woman must conform to whiteness; but in “playing” white, she is shackled by denying her identity, her culture, and her history, such that she will never truly be free.

I enjoyed this book both for the concept and the way it was executed; it was hard to put down. The writing is clean and while not lyrical, I found myself struck by the imagery and simile. I love that the cast of characters includes a trans man; not enough trans people are given this kind of real estate in fiction. In that same vein, I love that this book celebrates different, non-traditional loves: the love between a black woman and white trans man; the love of a man and woman together long-term, but never truly cohabiting or marrying; the love between sisters and daughters and mothers; the love for friends and protectors; and the love we feel purely out of transference. All in all, this is a quality work of fiction in all senses – plot, character development, concept, writing – and I would definitely recommend it, with a heavy side dose of thought and reflection on traditional thinking of race & relationships in America.