Here is a short summary of the novel, quoted from the author, Brit Bennett:

“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 secretly 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' storylines intersect?”

Although I read many books, it takes me a lot to cry at the end. However, this book had me in tears because of the pain, love and journey of the two main characters throughout the novel. I was introduced to this book through BookTok (a group on TikTok focused on books) which has recently become my primary means of seeing recommendations. As a person trying to listen and educate myself about the Black community, this book allowed me to do just that. The Vanishing Half aided my understanding of the complexities of being born mixed race and the challenges that those individuals face. This book was an eye-opening opportunity for me to further understand the Black community and the various facets of how race can alter one’s life.