This is a moving, elegantly structured family saga, set between the 1950s and the 1990s. It's the story of twin sisters, Desiree and Stella. As teenagers, both girls run away from their small hometown, but Desiree eventually returns with her dark-skinned daughter, whereas Stella decides to pass as white, moves to LA and has a daughter whom she also raises as white. Stella values the advantages of passing, but is terrified about being found out, and mourns the family she's cut off from. Years later, the two daughters cross paths, and this threatens to uncover Stella's secret . . . Set between Louisiana, New York and Los Angeles, and spanning several decades, this novel is rich, complex and emotional, exploring powerful themes of race, gender and sexuality. Praise for Brit Bennett: 'A writer to watch' Washington Post 'Bennett allows her characters to follow their worst impulses, and she handles provocative issues with intelligence, empathy and dark humour' New York Times 'Brit Bennett is so bracingly talented on the page' Jezebel 'Bennett's storytelling does what all truly good fiction does: it draws you in and, on a universal level, connects with you and makes you think' USA Today'A beautifully written, sad and lingering book' Guardian on The Mothers