Who are you?

I'm not talking about who you are in front of people. I'm talking about who you are when you are alone. When you don't need to keep your mask on. When you don't need to create a new scenario for every other person. What makes you you and me, me?

The Vanishing Half as a book explores race, class, freedom, family, and identity. Out of all, identity stuck with me. As a person who is still struggling to find my identity, it hits home. 



From the very first chapter, we can see the character's inner turmoil of a conflicted sense of identity. Who I am and who is this illusion I have created for other people? Should I be me or should I let my illusion take over? Am I white enough to be white or not? Am I man enough, as I have born with the body of a woman?

Twins, Desiree and Stella lead opposite but unique life. So are their daughters. A brat and an alienated child. All are different yet they are the same. All are unique yet there is this illusion of their personalities for the others.

This book is like a good geometry or calculus problem. Complex, unique, and the satisfaction you get after solving/reading is the same. And it will leave you yearning for more. When I finished reading the last page, I kept on swiping because I couldn't believe that this book came to an end. It made me think about how well I know people around me as well as myself.