Passing by Nella Larsen

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Passing by Nella Larsen

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Condition - very good
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Regular price $4.68
Condition - very good
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Passing by Nella Larsen

SON TO BE A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE - Two women in 1920s New York discover how fluid and dangerous our perceptions of race can be in this electrifying classic of the Harlem Renaissance--with an introduction by Kaitlyn Greenidge, author of We Love You, Charlie Freeman, finalist for the 2016 Center for Fiction First Novel Prize

Irene Redfield is living an affluent, enviable life with her husband and children in the thriving African American enclave of Harlem in the 1920s. That is, until she runs into her childhood friend, Clare Kendry. Since they last saw each other, Clare, who is similarly light-skinned, has been passing for a white woman, married to a racist man who does not know about his wife's real identity, which she has chosen to hide from the rest of the world. Irene is both fascinated and repulsed by Clare's dangerous secret, and in turn, Clare yearns for Irene's sense of ease and security with her Black identity and community, which Clare gave up in pursuit of a more advantageous life, and which she can never embrace again. As the two women grow close, Clare begins to insert herself and her deception into every part of Irene's stable existence, and their complex reunion sets off a chain of events that dynamically alters both women forever.

In this psychologically gripping and chilling novel, Nella Larsen explores the blurriness of race, sacrifice, alienation, and desire that defined her own experience as a woman of mixed race, issues that still powerfully resonate today. Ultimately, Larsen forces us to consider whether we can ever truly choose who we are.

The Modern Library Torchbearers series features women who wrote on their own terms, with boldness, creativity, and a spirit of resistance.

Praise for Passing

The genius of this book is that its protagonists . . . are complex and fully realized. . . . The work of a highly talented and thoughtful writer.--Richard Bernstein, The New York Times


SKU CIN0593437845VG
ISBN 13 9780593437841
ISBN 10 0593437845
Title Passing
Author Nella Larsen
Condition very good
Binding type Paperback
Publisher Random House USA Inc
Year published 2021-07-06
Number of pages 176
Cover note Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.
Note This is a used book - there is no escaping the fact it has been read by someone else and it will show signs of wear and previous use. Overall we expect it to be in very good condition, but if you are not entirely satisfied please get in touch with us