The Vanishing Half audiobook by Brit Bennett

After a stressful work week, I was looking forward to relaxing with Brit Bennett’s acclaimed novel The Vanishing Half. As soon as I pressed play on the audiobook, narrator Shayna Small’s expressive voice instantly pulled me in. Her performance illuminated the inner lives of the Vignes twins.

I found myself engrossed in the sisters’ diverging paths across decades, from a Black community in the Jim Crow South to glamorous Manhattan. This emotional family saga prompted me to reflect on legacy, identity, and fate versus personal choice. I related to studious Stella’s struggles to reconcile her racial identity after passing as white. And wildchild Desiree’s traumatic past broke my heart.

Themes of enduring racism, sexism, and classicism resonated strongly with me as a Black woman pursuing my career dreams. I understood the pull of reinvention and desire to protect one’s child from hardship. Bennett movingly explored the complexity of being Black in America through fully-realized characters.

By the bittersweet end, I was deeply invested in the Vignes family. The Vanishing Half is a thought-provoking tale I won’t soon forget. Shayna Small’s nuanced performance enhanced this poignant story exploring identity and belonging.