The Vanishing Half

I don't know why I waited so long to read this, but I could not stop listening to it, and I also never wanted it to end, and I also loved the ending. It is a masterpiece.

Desiree and Stella are twins who grew up in a teeny tiny town called Mallard, like the duck. Mallard is an interesting town, founded on the idea that there must be some middle ground between violent mistreatment of Black Americans and the elusive impunity of being white. The result is rampant colorism, a topic I am wholly unqualified to elaborate on.

The twins decide while teenagers they have had enough of Mallard. They strategically bolt, and for a time galivant around together. But soon they part ways with each other, too. They've not picked different colleges or careers or cities. No, they've picked to live as different races. This decision cements the foundation of a winding, multigenerational tale of denial and acceptance of self.

Bennett helps us ponder who and what must be left behind to access certain opportunities, and whether it's worth it. All of the characters are dimensional and human, with deep-rooted and believable motivations. She expertly toes the line of adding context and sympathy without letting characters off the hook for their choices.

I am fascinated by the idea of Stella leaving everything behind for a lifestyle and education that her own daughter wanted nothing to do with. It's actually a lot like High School Musical. No it isn't.

It's hard for me to talk through more specifics, because I think everyone should just read the whole thing. The audiobook narration was excellent. For some reason it reminded me of [b:The Warmth of Other Suns|8171378|The Warmth of Other Suns the Epic Story of America's Great Migration|Isabel Wilkerson|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1433354252l/8171378.SY75.jpg|13341052], which I realize is nonfiction, but is nevertheless a sprawling and moving journey over several decades. Fans of [b:Little Fires Everywhere|34273236|Little Fires Everywhere|Celeste Ng|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1522684533l/34273236.SY75.jpg|94930152] may also enjoy this, as both are slow-building domestic fictions about the complexities of race, class, and family in America.