Literary Fiction | Book Chatter

Leave The World Behind
By Rumaan Alam
Ecco, 9780062667632, October 2020, 256pp.

The Short of It:

This book left me unsettled and anxious but the story will stay with me for a very long time.

The Rest of It:

Amanda and Clay leave the city to rent a luxurious vacation home in Long Island. A week away with their two teenagers, simple meals, days spent swimming and lounging, is just what they need. An escape from city life sounds so perfect, even if only for a week.

The home is beautiful and private and as they fill the fridge with their own groceries and begin to fill the space with their own belongings, they begin to unwind and enjoy this brief respite. But then, they hear voices and shortly thereafter, there is a knock at the door. Who could be knocking at this late hour? Should they open it? Is it safe?

Ruth and G.H. Washington are at the door. They explain that something has happened in the city, a power outage and that they did what they felt was right, headed to their home in Long Island, yes the home Amanda and Clay are renting. You see, Ruth and G.H. are the owners.

Well folks, this presents all kinds of problems. It’s their home, so how can Amanda and Clay deny them access to their own home? Plus, Ruth and G.H. are older and it’s cold outside and a storm is on its way. How can they not let them in? But Amanda is concerned for their safety. Their kids are asleep and these people are strangers.

I want to be careful what I say here as I don’t want to give anything away but these two couples are put into a very difficult spot and they are tested in many ways. Their trust for one another, their lack of communication or real news (satellite, Wi-Fi and cell service is down), and yet their power remains. What has happened in the city? And then, something happens that forces them to consider that whatever has happened, is much bigger than a power outage.

Reading this book was stressful! There is an underlying current that runs through the book that keeps you on the edge of your seat. You can’t relax, yet you can’t put it down. You spend time with these people and get to know all their insecurities, their fears and in less than three hundred pages, a good sense for what makes them tick. As I was reading, I kept thinking about what I would do in that situation. When I turned the last page, I was at a loss for words. I had to buzz a friend who read it so we could discuss. It’s that kind of book. Plus, it’s a genre bender. Could be classified many different ways.

I will warn you, it’s gotten mixed reviews. Many readers hated it. Perhaps for the feeling it gave them or that the story is a little ambiguous. I, however, LOVED it. But I don’t rate books the same way most people do. I rate often for the experience. Did it take me away from my daily concerns? Yes. Was I riveted? Yes. Did I appreciate how the author told the story? Yes. So for me, it was a solid five stars and will be on my list of faves at the end of the year.

If you’ve read the book, check out this really interesting interview with Rhianna Walton for Powell’s. If you haven’t read it, save it for later because there are spoilers.

Source: Borrowed
Disclosure: This post contains Indiebound affiliate links.

The Vanishing Half
By Brit Bennett
Riverhead Books, 9780525536291, June 2020, 352pp.

The Short of It:

The Vanishing Half is a book that must be discussed.

The Rest of It:

Stella and Desiree are twins, living in the small (fictional) town of Mallard, Louisiana. This town is known for its black, light-skinned inhabitants. As young children, they witness the murder of their father by a group of angry white men, and from that point on, the girls, each affected in different ways, step out of their familiar surroundings to begin lives outside of Mallard.

At first, they do this together. Taking odd jobs, sleeping on floors and eventually making a place of their own to call home. But Stella wants more and eventually leaves Desiree behind to pursue what she feels is a better life. A life that should not be held from her, just because she’s black. Desiree is hurt by the abandonment but at the time, doesn’t fully understand Stella’s choices. All she wants throughout the years is to find her sister once again.

This story is told in several parts and jumps into the present day as we meet Jude and Kennedy, the children of Desiree and Stella. We also meet their significant others and as readers, we are brought into Stella’s world as she makes the decision to pass for white. One day, Stella is mistaken for white and just goes along with it. The concept of “passing” is one that affects more than just Stella as the story unfolds.

The Vanishing Half is a story about identity. Racial identity as well as gender identity (one of the characters, one of my favorite characters is transgendered). These characters are trying to find their way and their true selves and not without a lot of struggle. Some of Stella’s choices will anger you but Bennett wrote her in such a way, that you can’t hold her choices against her. She feels regret for her decisions but as readers we also see why she made these decisions to begin with.

I really liked how the story was structured and how balanced it was. I appreciated the decision to move the characters to California, particularly Los Angeles because as I can tell you, Los Angeles is accepting of a lot and it’s a place where people find themselves all the time. People can be whatever they want here, so having some of the story set in Los Angeles made sense. I really enjoyed the writing and I was lucky enough to be told about the Los Angeles Times Book Club interview with Bennett right after finishing the book so I got to hear her take on the book and it was just a great talk.

I highly recommend The Vanishing Half. Now, I really want to read her first book, The Mothers.

This book completes my summer reading list!

Source: Borrowed
Disclosure: This post contains Indiebound affiliate links.

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