I thought The Vanishing Half was a memorable, complex story about the devisive effects of colourism and the identities we make for ourselves.

We are initially introduced to twin sisters; Desiree and Stella Vignes who couldn't be more different, one orderly and proper, the other reckless an impulsive. They come from a small nowhere town called Mallard where everyone is coloured but desirably so; so light skin, white features, wavy hair. However, they desperately want to escape their dead-end lives, so they run away and start a new life in New Orleans.

But the paths of these sisters will diverge again where they will be separated for decades due to Stella's decision to abandon her former life and live the privilege of a white woman.

I loved the complexity of the characterisation in this book, Stella in particular who I found it difficult to judge too harshly despite the pain her family face because of her. It also develops the theme of identity which is something most if not all of these characters continuously struggle with and I thought it handled that sense of disorientation well in a way that was resonant.

The story concludes in an underwhelming way, albeit with a definite sense of closure. Usually this ruins a book for me but I liked that it had a quality of continuity and sentimentality about it. It made me ponder the lives these characters will lead after the story had ended. I'm also partial to this book because of its transgenerational nature which I always love and praise in a book. I love being able to see how our characters grow and evolve and how the challenges they faced have shaped them. Sometimes the writing felt banal but I otherwise loves reading and would recommend this book.