Passing by Nella Larsen
By Nella LarsenFirst published to critical acclaim in 1929, Passing firmly established Nella Larsen's prominence among women writers of the Harlem Renaissance. The Modern Library is proud to present Passing—an electrifying story of two women who cross the color line in 1920s New York—together with a new Introduction by the Obie Award- winning playwright and novelist Ntozake Shange.
Irene Redfield, the novel's protagonist, is a woman with an enviable life. She and her husband, Brian, a prominent physician, share a comfortable Harlem town house with their sons. Her work arranging charity balls that gather Harlem's elite creates a sense of purpose and respectability for Irene. But her hold on this world begins to slip the day she encounters Clare Kendry, a childhood friend with whom she had lost touch. Clare—light-skinned, beautiful, and charming—tells Irene how, after her father's death, she left behind the black neighborhood of her adolescence and began passing for white, hiding her true identity from everyone, including her racist husband. As Clare begins inserting herself into Irene's life, Irene is thrown into a panic, terrified of the consequences of Clare's dangerous behavior. And when Clare witnesses the vibrancy and energy of the community she left behind, her burning desire to come back threatens to shatter her careful deception.
Brilliantly plotted and elegantly written, Passing offers a gripping psychological portrait of emotional extremity.
Book details
- Paperback
- 122 pages
- English
- 0141180250
- 9780141180250
About Nella Larsen
nella larsen was Read More about Nella Larsen
More Books By Nella Larsen
People who bought this also bought
It Happened in India : The Story of Pantaloons, Big Bazaar, Central and the Great Indian Consumer
Used Book
The Safest Place on Earth : Where People Connect and are Forever Changed
Used Book
The Ultimate Ice Cream Book : Over 500 Ice Creams, Sorbets, Granitas, Drinks, And More
Used Book
How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be: The 25 Principles of Success book by Jack Canfield
New Book
Decontrolling Strategic Technology, 1990-1992 : Creating the Military Threats of the 21st Century
Used Book
You've GOT to Read This Book!: 55 People Tell the Story of the Book That Changed Their Life by
New Book
What Jane Austen Ate and Charles Dickens Knew : From Fox Hunting to Whist-the Facts of Daily Life in Nineteenth-Century England
Used Book
What Would Judy Say?: A Grown-Up Guide to Living Together with Benefits
Used Book