Published in 1929 Passing is a brilliantly layered story set in 1920s Harlem of two light skinned Black women, childhood friends who are estranged then reunite after taking two very different paths: one living comfortably as the wife of a dark skinned Black doctor in Harlem society, the other “passing” as white, married to a white man. The book is short – just over 100 pages – the writing sparse, yet author Nella Larsen manages to convey so much nuance about race, class, identity, sexuality, and freedom, with an unexpected horror undertone to boot.
A perfect classic companion read for Brit Bennett’s The Vanishing Half.
Passing was adapted into a film by Netflix in 2021.
That Bookish Life 