January 2021- Book Selection


Hello Readers!
For the month of January, I selected the Vanishing Half, after updating my Goodreads account and discovering this recommendation from a GR’s friend. I’d seen the title come across my newsfeed in the multiple book groups on Facebook and decided to read. The Vanishing Half trails the lives of the Vining twins, born in a small Louisiana town. The Vining twins ( Stella and Desiree) experience a timeline of challenges as children and decide to escape a life of hardship, leaving home. One twin decides to live her life as a white woman, while the other returns home to a life she’s always known. This book explores, colorism, family secrets, grief, pain, and suffering. The author did a good job of character development and expressing the characters’ points of view. My only con to this book is the ending. I would’ve like to see a different ending. However, overall I loved this book.
Things to Ponder:
- Consider the impact of your childhood, how has childhood traumas, triumphs, and triggers show up in your life at the very moment.
- Have you ever wanted to be White? Why do you think Stella chose to live life as a white woman?
- Who’s right and responsibility is it to expose family secrets?
- Do you agree on the act of lying is an ACT of LOVE??
- Have you ever felt excluded by your own family, community, church for the color of your skin?
- Have you ever felt your hometown, family, tradition etc, was holding you back? Why or Why not?
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars.