The Vanishing Half is a novel about identical twin girls who grew up in a small Southern black community and ran away at age 16. Many years later, one sister lives with her black daughter in the same Southern town she tried to escape, while the other sister lives across the country and secretly passes for white, while her white husband knows nothing of her past. Although separated by many miles and just as many lies, the fates of the twins remain intertwined, and their own daughters' story lines will eventually intersect. The novel explores themes of race, gender, and identity, and the lasting influence of the past as it shapes a person's desires and expectations.

This book was a #1 New York Times bestseller and a Good Morning America Book Club selection.