Primarily set in the American South and California, spanning from the 1950s to the 1990s Plot: The story centers around Desiree and Stella Vignes, identical twin sisters who grow up in Mallard, Louisiana, a town where light skin is valued. At 16, they run away, but their lives diverge as adults. Stella chooses to pass as white, while Desiree returns to Mallard with her Black daughter. The novel explores the consequences of their choices on themselves and their families across generations.