Cannonball Read 18

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time
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The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett

The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett

March 4, 2026 by itsjustme Leave a Comment

I will visit the library (old school) with a list. Books I’ve heard about, authors I like and intent to browse a little. This novel I think I chose from a display of award winning novels. The Vignes twin sisters grow up in a southern black community where there might as well be a sign “light skin only” The size and remote location serve as an enclave from most cultural clashes. Yet racism, division and violence are still real threats. The sisters are inseparable until […]

Filed Under: Fiction Tagged With: Brit Bennett

itsjustme's CBR18 Review No:1 · Genres: Fiction · Tags: Brit Bennett ·
· 0 Comments

Thought provoking novel about race and privilege in the US

The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett

January 13, 2023 by Elizabeth Leave a Comment

This is a thought provoking book about two generations of a family: identical twin sisters who each have one daughter born in the early 1960s. The twins are both Black, but one makes the decision to pass as white while the other stays within the Black community. The interactions and repercussions on their daughters are really interesting, and the book is beautifully written. The twins (Stella and Desiree) are born in a Louisiana community entirely of light skinned Black people, and are traumatized at a […]

Filed Under: Fiction Tagged With: Brit Bennett

Elizabeth's CBR15 Review No:4 · Genres: Fiction · Tags: Brit Bennett ·
· 0 Comments

Two sisters, two different directions

The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett

June 3, 2022 by Sophia Leave a Comment

I noticed The Vanishing Half ages ago, but there was always a ridiculously long wait for it at the library. I think I first saw it on NPR’s Best Books of 2020 and it seemed like a must-read book, so I began it with relatively high expectations. In the end, I was pretty impressed. The novel covers the 1950’s to the 1990’s and follows a number of different characters. At first, I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to get into it, but I thought Bennett did a really good […]

Filed Under: Fiction Tagged With: Brit Bennett

Sophia's CBR14 Review No:24 · Genres: Fiction · Tags: Brit Bennett ·
Rating:
· 0 Comments

“Her death hit in waves. Not a flood, but water lapping steadily at her ankles. You could drown in two inches of water. Maybe grief was the same.”

The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett

February 28, 2022 by cheerbrarian Leave a Comment

In one word: Clever Accolades have poured in for this book: nominated for a number of literary awards, Good Morning America Book Club selection, picked as a “book of the year” on numerous lists (including Barack Obama’s), and the “one book one community read” for my local book club. The last accolade is what swayed me to pick it up as I’m a loyal participant of the library book club. I was hesitant because we read Bennett’s “The Mothers” four years ago and I did […]

Filed Under: Fiction Tagged With: 1960s America, Brit Bennett, Passing, race in america, the 1980s, the vanishing half

cheerbrarian's CBR14 Review No:7 · Genres: Fiction · Tags: 1960s America, Brit Bennett, Passing, race in america, the 1980s, the vanishing half ·
Rating:
· 0 Comments

The struggle between who you are and who you want to be

The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett

December 28, 2021 by teresaelectro 1 Comment

The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett was another Mocha Girls Read pick. I definitely would not have read it without the book club impetus. To no surprise, as indicated by this annual onslaught of reviews, I procrastinated reading it. I ended up reading most of it in one day. It was well worth the time and exceeded my expectations. The novel centers on two Black twin sisters who run away from a small Black community.  The town prides itself on being a close-knit town for […]

Filed Under: Fiction Tagged With: Black Women authors, Brit Bennett, colorism, family, loneliness, twins

teresaelectro's CBR13 Review No:17 · Genres: Fiction · Tags: Black Women authors, Brit Bennett, colorism, family, loneliness, twins ·
Rating:
· 1 Comment
The Vanishing Half

…and people say you can’t judge a book by its cover

The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett

September 1, 2021 by postcardsandbooks 1 Comment

Look at how pretty this book is. I am serious: take a minute to ignore the Lego boxes hiding behind the books and truly appreciate how absolutely gorgeous the Waterstones exclusive edition of the Vanishing Half is. I will be honest, I bought this book for the purely superficial reason that it would look gorgeous on my shelf, and it delivered (don’t even get me started on the gorgeous purple hardcover underneath the dust jacket or I might never actually tell you anything about the […]

Filed Under: Fiction Tagged With: Brit Bennett, cbr13bingo

postcardsandbooks's CBR13 Review No:51 · Genres: Fiction · Tags: Brit Bennett, cbr13bingo ·
Rating:
· 1 Comment
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