Hi all!
Today I am back for Day #14 of the Black Resilience Booksta Challenge. I explained all the rules in my first post here. I’m hoping this will inspire other readers to read, review and amplify more black voices. Feel free to join me! You can refer to the template below. You can also check out the dedicated category on the main page of this blog for all the posts that came before this one.
I chose The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett for Day #14 because despite reading it this year, it was the best black book to have been released in 2020.
The Vignes twin sisters will always be identical. But after growing up together in a small, southern black community and running away at age sixteen, it’s not just the shape of their daily lives that is different as adults, it’s everything: their families, their communities, their racial identities. Many years later, one sister lives with her black daughter in the same southern town she once tried to escape. The other passes for white, and her white husband knows nothing of her past. Still, even separated by so many miles and just as many lies, the fates of the twins remain intertwined. What will happen to the next generation, when their own daughters’ story-lines intersect?
I have been drawn to this book for a while now. It has received so many positive reviews and recommendations. In short, this story did not go in the direction I was expecting. I thought this would be a tale about two twins that were split apart and had to find one another once again. I was surprised to learn that they actually voluntarily ran away from home and chose to lead two very different lives. This novel centres around racial identity and embracing who you really are. I love the way it was formatted, written and delivered. I had such an emotional investment in the characters and their separate journeys through life. It was both heartwarming and heartbreaking. I really appreciated the transgender representation as well. I think it would make an excellent adaptation on Netflix.
If you are interested in getting a copy, you can order it here.
Thank you so much for reading, I will see you next time for Day #15.
Peace & Love xoxo
Disclaimer: This post contains a link to my Book Depository Affiliate. I am not being paid or sponsored for this post/products – all my thoughts/opinions are my own