The Librarian's Husband's Book Club discussion
![The Vanishing Half](https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1577090827l/51791252._SX50_SY75_.jpg)
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The Vanishing Half
April 2024 - Literary Fiction
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The Vanishing Half - Questions (Spoilers)
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![David Hesson | 6 comments](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1395191883p1/29775124.jpg)
I think it was absolutely necessary for her to leave Desiree behind and to cut off all emotion regarding her past - therefore she couldn't allow herself to feel regret. Her life became dominated by fear.
Desiree for me is more difficult because she lost a piece of herself and so never really overcame that in some ways. I would like to think she had a stronger relationship with her mother but I am not sure that is true. I'm interested to hear what others think.
I love Desiree - I just cant help but feel a little sad that her life was not all it could have been.
![Tiffany (herbtiff) | 66 comments](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1261403087p1/985556.jpg)
![Dawn (dawnella77) | 90 comments](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1704143766p1/155681.jpg)
I think Stella made the decision to pass as white for not only her desire for better opportunities in life , and white privilege but as an outcome of the trauma of seeing her father murdered by white men and possibly fear of being treated badly. Ironically, her fear of having her secret revealed keeps her running from her past and living a life in constant fear. Her choice comes with a heavy price: loss of family, culture, her twin sister, her identity and her constant fear of her secret exposed. In order to pass as white she had to give up her sister, Desiree. Her sister would expose her past and her true identity. I feel that a part of Stella regrets her decision to leave her sister but her desire to be white seems stronger despite the heavy burden of living a lifetime of fear and secrecy.
Desiree makes the opposite choice: to embrace her identity, marry the blackest man she could find and eventually move back to Mallard with her daughter, Jude. Desiree’s perception of her father dying did not affect her in the same way as it affected Stella. “Maybe she would have been able to endure all this if it weren’t for everyone’s obsession with lightness.” “But none of that mattered when the white men came for him, so how could she care about lightness after that? “ I think Desiree regretted being separated from her sister initially . She sacrificed a life of opportunity for a life of hard work and living in a town she dreamed of leaving.
Wow--some really good insights based on a few questions. In both cases, the women made decisions to try to live the best life that they thought they could. Which begs the question---who do you think was more successful? Which sister ultimately lived a better, happier, more fulfilling (or what ever modifier you personally think is most appropriate) life?
![Kristen Fort | 48 comments](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1365373908p1/19196220.jpg)
What do you all think of the other vanishings? Reese? The town of Mallard itself?
![Dawn (dawnella77) | 90 comments](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1704143766p1/155681.jpg)
I tend to agree. One sister ultimately embraced who she was and the other tried to be someone else. The former found peace and contentment, the latter struggled to maintain the persona she created.
I hadn't thought about other vanishings---that's an interesting observation.
I hadn't thought about other vanishings---that's an interesting observation.
Do you understand why Stella made the choice she did?
What did Stella have to give up, in order to live a different kind of life?
Was it necessary to leave Desiree behind?
Do you think Stella ultimately regrets her choices?
What about Desiree?