The Vanishing Half Book Club

Published: July 29, 2020, 4:01 a.m.

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This month, we read The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett. This the story of identical twin sisters (and their daughters) spanning the fifties through the nineties. Desiree and Stella are inseparable growing up in the fictional light-skinned Black town of Mallard, Louisiana during the fifties in the Jim Crow-era south. When they are 16, they run away together to New Orleans. From there, their lives take completely different turns. Desiree marries a dark-skinned man and returns home to raise her daughter in Mallard, while Stella goes on to pass for white - hiding her identity and past from her new family. The book follows the girls\\u2019 stories and their daughters, who eventually end up meeting via a chance encounter. We discuss colorism, the theme of running away throughout the book, our interpretations of the title, and our mixed reviews on the ending. Although this book has been in the works for 4 years, its release couldn\\u2019t be more timely, as the story has such pointed views about race and privilege. We can\\u2019t wait to hear what you think of the book! Join in the discussion on the Facebook Group.

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Interviews with Brit Bennett:

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Obsessions:

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Instagram:

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Books:

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August Book Club:

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Podcast:

  • Everything is Fine: a podcast for women about life over 40. Hosted by former Lucky magazine founding editor Kim France and documentary filmmaker Tally Abecassis.

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Join our FB group for amazing book recs & more!

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Like and subscribe to RomComPods. Available wherever you listen to podcasts. Visit Grace\\u2019s blog, The Stripe. New posts daily!

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Follow us on Instagram @badonpaperpodcast. Follow Grace on Instagram @graceatwood and Becca @beccamfreeman.

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