Passing
Feb 2025 · Open Road Media
Ebook
108
Pages
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About this ebook
"A tragic story rooted in the . . . facts of American life . . . that loyalty to a Black . . . identity was not only an act of pride, but one of courage." — The New York Times
"[Larsen's novels are] . . . absolutely absorbing, fascinating, and indispensable." —Alice Walker, Pulitzer Prize– and National Book Award–winning author of The Color Purple
Irene Redfield and Clare Kendry were childhood friends—a relationship that Irene, a Black woman living a comfortable life in a thriving neighborhood in 1920s Harlem, would like to banish to the past. Because Clare, recently relocated to New York and eager to reconnect, is living a lie. Married to a racist white man who knows nothing about her background, Clare is passing for white.
Envious of Irene's comfort with her own race, Clare can't stay away, inserting herself into Irene's life at every opportunity. Soon the two women's bond is tentatively ignited again, despite how disturbed Irene is by Clare's double life. But as Clare is drawn deeper into Irene's community—her deception is in danger of being discovered—with tragic consequences.
Nella Larsen's brilliant examination of white privilege and Black identity is just as riveting and relevant today as when it was originally published in 1929.
"One of the best novels of the year." —W. E. B. DuBois
"[Larsen's novels are] . . . absolutely absorbing, fascinating, and indispensable." —Alice Walker, Pulitzer Prize– and National Book Award–winning author of The Color Purple
Irene Redfield and Clare Kendry were childhood friends—a relationship that Irene, a Black woman living a comfortable life in a thriving neighborhood in 1920s Harlem, would like to banish to the past. Because Clare, recently relocated to New York and eager to reconnect, is living a lie. Married to a racist white man who knows nothing about her background, Clare is passing for white.
Envious of Irene's comfort with her own race, Clare can't stay away, inserting herself into Irene's life at every opportunity. Soon the two women's bond is tentatively ignited again, despite how disturbed Irene is by Clare's double life. But as Clare is drawn deeper into Irene's community—her deception is in danger of being discovered—with tragic consequences.
Nella Larsen's brilliant examination of white privilege and Black identity is just as riveting and relevant today as when it was originally published in 1929.
"One of the best novels of the year." —W. E. B. DuBois
"A tragic story rooted in the . . . facts of American life . . . that loyalty to a Black . . . identity was not only an act of pride, but one of courage." — The New York Times
"[Larsen's novels are] . . . absolutely absorbing, fascinating, and indispensable." —Alice Walker, Pulitzer Prize– and ...
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About the author
Nella Larsen was an American novelist. Working as a nurse and a librarian, she published two novels, Quicksand (1928) and Passing (1929), and a few short stories. Though her literary output was scant, she earned recognition from her contemporaries. Inspired by issues of race and sexual identity, Larsen's work saw a revival as an educational source. Her works have become widely-lauded and the subjects of numerous academic studies.
Nella Larsen was an American novelist. Working as a nurse and a librarian, she published two novels, Quicksand (1928) and Passing (1929), and a few short stories. Though her literary output was scant, she earned recognition from her contemporaries. Inspired by issues of race and sexual identity, ...
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