Nicole Maambo

I almost refuse. But the ache for him is stronger than my anger. I want to speak of something not dead or divine. I want him to live. If you have to go I will go with you. In the darkness two shadows reaching through the hopeless , heavy dusk. their hands meet and light spill in a flood like a hundred golden urns pouring out the sun. Amazing read , you broke my heart a thousand times and sadly in the end it was resolutely crushed.

Let me save you a few hours. The great love of her life was apparently Celia st James. Monique the woman interviewing Evelyn and writing her biography is actually the child of one of her husband's lover who died in a car crash. While the writing was well paced and palatable. I hardly found the book groundbreaking or narrate changing. In other words it was a story.

The Vanishing Half is a well-written and engaging book, but for me, it didn’t have the depth I expected. The story follows twin sisters whose lives diverge when one chooses to pass as white — a premise loaded with potential. While themes like colorism, texturism, identity, and deception are present but not explored fully, they felt surface-level and disconnected. These issues were explored, but never fully unpacked or woven deeply into the emotional core of the novel. The reunion between Stella and Desiree, which should have been charged with the pain of betrayal and the struggle for acceptance, fell flat. It lacked the emotional tension, resentment, or catharsis you’d expect after years of silence and secrets. The moment felt too subdued for what was at stake. Overall, it’s a good book — beautifully written in parts — but it never quite digs into its own story the way I hoped it would. The heaviness of the themes deserved more weight, more confrontation, and more heart.

Just finished this book soul crushing,mind numbing and heart ripping tales of the tragic life of the people of Afghanistan. I don't know if I should pity the life and tragic end of Mariam or the tragedies of Laila life , disgusted by the cruelty of Rasheed and admire the resilience of Tariq . Should I loathe the docility of jalil or the instability of nana. Heartbreakingly good ,thank you to my sister for having me crying on a Thursday, on a Thursday.

Quite a fascinating tale of history with a dash of action.