The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett is a story – a mystery of sorts – concerning the disappearance of one identical twin who decides to pass for white, severing contact with her previously known world to protect the secret that she has “one drop”[1] of black ancestry. Our first responder shared that he took a DNA test that revealed he had two percent black blood – all his life he had been passing for white and he didn’t know it! Although this concept seems absurd to many of us, someone who had read the book mentioned to me that she didn’t believe anyone could really pass; that you can always tell. These discussions with shared reading experiences matter.

This month, we went around the table, fleshing out a few comments, and everyone brought a new observation that showed engagement with the story – even when they didn’t like the book. One of us had just started the audiobook and hadn’t been hooked by the first few chapters, although the narrator seemed good. Most of us found it easy to read, and one new member finished even though she had started it just three days before our meeting.

A few of us were disappointed that there wasn’t more action. Another found it a sensitive subject because her daughter-in-law vehemently opposed acknowledging her children’s black heritage. She liked the book, but it ended too abruptly. Several of us agreed, wondering if the author was setting up a sequel, or if she just got tired of writing. As with other books we’ve read, we weren’t convinced that the characters’ behaviors were realistic. We wanted more depth. Why couldn’t Stella have at least called her sister? A new member was moved by the realization of how a single decision can affect your entire life – and your family’s.

The story jumped around enough to make it hard to follow. We had to keep checking the dates at the chapter headings and it seemed to get worse near the end. One of us was particularly disappointed. She found Desiree selfish to keep Jude in Mallard and the book had not an ounce of happiness. Another member concluded that the book was not entertaining. However, one of us really liked Early, and there were many smiles and nods around the table! One of the book club questions asked what we thought might happen to the characters, and someone said the best ending would be that Stella’s husband Blake reveals he knew all along she was passing.

We considered why the author included the transgender storyline. One of us said that it highlighted the importance of inclusiveness. Isn’t that the American dream? It also deepened the concept of identity. Another member shared his own struggle with gender identity and how wearing masks feeds self-loathing, substance abuse, and parallel violence. He shared the story of the UpStairs Lounge arson attack in which a gay man started a fire that killed 32 people. “In 1973, LGBT scene in New Orleans was still largely underground, the Times-Picayune reported in 2013. A week after the fire, churches refused to conduct funerals for the dead. An Episcopal bishop rebuked a reverend who held a prayer service for the victims.” [2]

So often, when we read and hear stories, we make connections to our own lives. This can feel awkward, because we don’t want to lessen the recognition of trauma for others, such as Black Lives Matter to All Lives Matter. The author wrote an essay in 2014 that I found referenced in several places: “I Don’t Know What to Do with Good White People.”[3]  We wished that we had a member from the black community to broaden our perspective of the book.

Near the end of the meeting, one of us suggested that the seemingly unfinished ending and unanswered questions actually encourage us to think. We discussed a lot in just under an hour. The Vanishing Half covers not even half of all the topics it touches on, too. We noted that segregation and hatred continue. We see it in the news every day. Laws can be rewritten. Someone at the meeting said, “to thine own self be true.” Who are we?

OTHER WORKS DISCUSSED:

• The Personal Librarian (2021) by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray
• Pudd’nhead Wilson (1894) by Mark Twain
• Unbearable Lightness of Being (1984) Milan Kundera
• The Jeffersons  (1975-1985) television
• An Imitation of Life (1934 and 1959) films
• _____________________________
• Passing (1929) by Nella Larsen (2021 Netflix Film also)
• God Help the Child (2015) by Toni Morrison
• The Mothers (2016) by Brit Bennet
• A Chosen Exile: A History of Racial Passing in American Life (2014) by Allyson Hobbs
• One Drop: My Father’s Hidden Life—a Story of Racial and Family Secrets (2007) by Bliss Broyard
• The Stories Whiteness Tells Itself: Racial Myths and Our American Narratives (2022) by David Mura

[1] “One drop rule: U.S. History. a social classification, codified in law in some states during the 20th century, that identifies biracial or multiracial individuals as Black if they have any known Black African ancestry, even from a Black ancestor many generations removed.” Based on the definition from Random House Unabridged Dictionary. https://www.dictionary.com/browse/one-drop-rule

[2] “On June 24, 1973, an arson fire at the UpStairs Lounge, a popular gathering spot for New Orleans’ LGBT community in the French Quarter, results in 32 deaths and at least 15 injuries. At the time, it was the deadliest known attack at a gay club in American history. The fire’s official cause was “undetermined,” and no one was ever arrested for the crime.” https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/upstairs-lounge-arson-new-orleans

[3] You can find this on-line, or I can get you a copy at the library – just let me know.  I found it here: https://jezebel.com/i-dont-know-what-to-do-with-good-white-people-1671201391