Desiree Vignes: One of twins raised in Mallard, Louisiana who returns to Mallard with her daughter, more restless of the twinsStella Vignes/Sanders: One of twins raised Mallard, Louisiana who leaves and passes for white, calmer of the twinsJude: Desiree’s daughterAdele Vignes: Desiree and Stella’s motherLeon Vigens: Desiree and Stella’s father, lynched by a white mob, which his twins witnessEarly Jones: Desiree’s childhood crush and post-marriage partner who tracks down people on the runReese Carter: Jude’s boyfriend who is undergoing gender reassignmentBlake Sanders: Stella’s husbandKennedy Sanders: Stella and Blake’s daughterSam Winston: Desiree’s abusive husbandLou: Owner of the local diner in Mallard, Lou’s Egg HouseLonnie Goudea: Jude’s classmate in Mallard who bullies herBarry: Friend of Jude’s and Reese’s who performs as BiancaReginald and Loretta Walker: Black neighbors of Stella and Blake’s in Palace EstatesPeg Davis: Math professor and Stella’s advisor in graduate schoolFrantz: Kennedy’s boyfriend in NYC. Rex and Saskia, a young couple in love, are on vacation. a fun and thought-provoking conversation with Elizabeth Day at Waterstones, Trevor Noah interviewed Brit Bennett on the Daily Show, A Stanford historian re-examines practice of racial 'passing', conversation with Elizabeth Day at Waterstones. As a child Kennedy has nightmares that she never remembers and when she tells Jude as an adult she says, “‘That’s the thing, I could never remember. Hide Map. Kennedy and Jude remain friends. The novel opens a conversation on the complexity of identity from how identities are created to how they are shared whether temporarily or permanently and who they are shared with. The Vanishing Half is such a complex and timely novel. Or this century during the 9/11 attacks or Hurricane Katrina? Irritated, Stella returns to Mallard, wanting to convince Desiree to tell Jude to stop. Discussion Questions The Vanishing Half. What was lost and what was gained in your vanishing half? Brit Bennett is the author of the New York Times–bestselling novel The Mothers; a finalist for the NBCC John Leonard Prize for the best first book, the PEN/Robert W. Bingham Prize for Debut Fiction, and the New York Public Library Young Lions Award; and a National Book Foundation 5 under 35 honoree. Where do you identify as part of a group? To view more posted books, go to Book List. As she says in her Waterstones’ interview: “How to marry the large scale drama of history, capital H history, and then also these personal, emotional crises that these characters are having. Have you read other novels on passing? To view additional authors, go to Author List.Author List. Get Directions. Find books related to a theme or a time period and then check out the book guides to remind you who the characters are, provide links to internet resources and suggest questions to connect your reading to life. Looking well beyond issues of race, The Vanishing Half considers the lasting influence of the past as it shapes a person’s decisions, desires, and expectations, and explores some of the multiple reasons and realms in which people sometimes feel pulled to live as something other than their origins. A wonderfully created bite sized game that doesn't overstay its welcome and lingers in the mind like a good film. Farmingdale Public Library. Bennett talks about this directly in her Waterstones’ interview saying that she thinks: “about identity as something that is fluid and something that is permeable and something that is constantly changing.” [12:15], “Interested in the flimsiness of those categories [race, gender] but at the same time the effect of these categories are lived realities.” [13:12]. Certainly twins are a group of two with a strong identity. Consider a time when you judged someone based on the color of their skin. Because when you meet them, Desiree is in a bad marriage and that’s the most pressing thing in her life, it’s not that history is happening. Kennedy believes she can only get rid of the bad thing inside her by being on the stage. Plot Summary of The Vanishing Half. However, she soon becomes friends with the woman, Loretta Lawson. The Vanishing Half, published in June 2020, is the second novel by author Brit Bennett.It became a New York Times bestseller and was selected as a Good Morning America Book Club Pick. Bennett covered similar material in her debut novel, The Mothers (2016), which … ... Ending discussion (big spoilers so avoid if you haven't finished) First off - fantastic work developers! While catering in L.A., Jude encounters Stella from afar, and talks with Kennedy. 116 Merritts Rd, Farmingdale, NY 11735. She is convinced they will be able to see through her lies. Nearly every character the novel has an aspect of his or her identity that they suppress or hide or want to step out of at times. Riverhead Books, 2020. OTHER LINKS: If you liked The Vanishing Half you may also like other books in our Fiction Category. After Stella is fired, Desiree encourages her to apply for a secretarial job at Maison Blanche. Part V: Pacific Cove (1985/1988) - Part VI: Places (1986). But when I started acting, they stopped. Vox has an interview with Alisha Gaines, an English professor at Florida State University to talk through passing with a literary and historical lens. As I removed the dust jacket on The Vanishing Half, I was pleasantly surprised to find ‘BB’ engraved upon the bright blue front board. 1. When Jude shares their grandfather’s murder with Kennedy, the conversation unfolds around the photo of Stella and Desiree at their father’s funeral. And there is a focus on “becoming” someone, developing your identify in your youth. A Stanford historian re-examines practice of racial 'passing' (2013). The Vanishing Half, published in June 2020, is the second novel by author Brit Bennett.It became a New York Times bestseller and was selected as a Good Morning America Book Club Pick. Invite. In what ways do you think individuals inherit trauma from their parents or ancestors? After being repeatedly raped by Mr. Dupont, Stella is eager to leave Mallard. Internet Resources. However, the housing laws at the federal, state and local level that prohibited Blacks from purchasing homes in white areas, created a wealth gap that has been ever-widening even after those laws were dismantled. How has your identity been formed and morphed throughout your life? OTHER LINKS: If you liked The Vanishing Half you may also like other books in our Fiction Category. As young girls, Desiree and Stella Vignes, grow up in Mallard, Louisiana, a town founded on colorist principals. When Stella tells Loretta that she is Black, Stella knew that, “if it came down to her word versus Loretta’s, she would always be believed. help you understand the book. everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of The Vanishing Half. Near the end of the novel, when the twins reconnect, they both notice how each has changed over time. Reese had also been unable to reveal his skin. Not only does Bennett share these lives, she is outstandingly skillful at merging the individual stories with the historical context. The following version of this book was used to create the guide: Bennett, Brit. Desiree, the “fidgety twin,” and Stella, “a smart, careful girl,” … Where have you witnessed any form of passing— religious, sexual orientation, ability? Directed by George Sluizer. Enamored with Stella, he actively pursues her. This study guide contains the following sections: This detailed literature summary also contains Quotes and a Free Quiz on Inseparable identical twin sisters ditch home together, and then one decides to vanish. The talented Bennett fuels her fiction with secrets—first in her lauded debut, The Mothers (2016), and now in the assured and magnetic story of the Vignes sisters, light-skinned women parked on opposite sides of the color line. Do you see increased possibility for becoming anyone in youth as Stella reflects or have more options and identities been possible for you as you have aged? They stop at a busy service station and Saskia is abducted. The Vanishing Half Summary & Study Guide includes comprehensive information and analysis to As you reflect back on your life and the historical milestones that occurred during your lifetime, how do you understand or feel that history especially relative to a younger person who hasn’t lived through those moments? A piece of Stella vanished when she chose to pass as white. Loretta later ends their relationship, when she hears Kennedy call her daughter a racial slur. Maybe it’s where you were when an assassination occurred or a man first stepped on the moon, when Challenger exploded or the Berlin Wall came down, when Nelson Mandela was elected or Princess Diana died. As the author says in her Waterstones’ interview: “I realized it was a story about fracture, a story about a family that has been fragmented in these ways that are unbridgeable, and this family that has been fractured and sent off in different directions, so the idea of them living in separate times felt really organic.” [40:30], 1954: Desiree and Stella leave Mallard1955: Stella leaves Desiree1968: Desiree returns to Mallard1978: Jude heads to UCLA1982: Jude has graduated and is applying to medical schools1985: Jude meets Kennedy in New York and shares photo of their mothers1986: Stella returns to Mallard1988: Adele dies1990s: Brief glimpse of Kennedy as a realtor. How does this open up the title’s interpretation for you? To date, this particular club has never endorsed a book that I have failed to enjoy. To view more posted books, go to Book List. T he Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett is a 2020 novel about estranged twins Desiree and Stella Vignes and their daughters, … Compare living through history to learning about history before you were born. Internet Resources. In what ways are identities ours to develop? Here Stella feels secure, hidden from her true culture and roots. - Volume 51 Issue 4 - Karen Hagemann, Simone Lässig Directed by George Sluizer. Stella transforms further in the eyes of those around her when she’s out and about as “Blake’s girl.” She moves from being a woman who is openly objectified to a woman being protected by a man. Both Desiree and Stella reflect on how simple it was for them to be passing as white, that they just had to act like they were. THE VANISHING Official Trailer (2019) Gerard Butler, Thriller Movie HDSubscribe to Rapid Trailer For All The Latest Movie Trailers! When have you changed identities or changed your expression of who you are or how you share who you are? With Bernard-Pierre Donnadieu, Gene Bervoets, Johanna ter Steege, Gwen Eckhaus. Brit Bennett brings both of these conversations to the forefront in a interesting way. When Kennedy tries confronting Stella about Jude's claims, Stella denies everything. Here are three first-hand perspectives on passing. I have a visually impaired colleague who at one point in his life worked hard to pass as sighted to avoid the stigma associated with having a visual impairment. The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett was on a lot of lists for highly anticipated books for 2020, but now it’s been picked up for an HBO limited series in a 7-figure deal. The meme is as much about attitude as skin color— the boldness that Bennett writes about. Book club discussion questions; Good Morning America book club details; Barnes & Noble book club details; Pairings & more! The Vanishing Half is an intergenerational examination of identity, and what it’s like to grow up in a body you’ve been conditioned to feel ashamed of. Reese had also b…more Jude avoided swimming in that river as a girl because she didn't want her skin exposed to the critical eyes of the Mallard residents. In what ways do the characters become someone else and in what ways do they become who they are? The Vanishing Half Book Club Questions Beyond that, many individuals think of their place within or without a group. What is gained and what is lost? What places or interactions in the novel felt very grounded historically to you? Stella, half of the twins vanished. The Vanishing Half is a novel that shows just how human emotion, uncertainty and longing can be captured and put on paper.” —Candice Carty-Williams, author of Queenie “A novel of immense, shining, powerful intelligence.” —Deborah Levy, two-time Booker shortlisted novelist In August, editors Abbe, Jess, and Emma read (and LOVED) The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett—they couldn't wait to talk about it. 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