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Passing (1929) is a novel by American author Nella Larsen. Set primarily in the Harlem neighborhood of New York City in the 1920s, the story centers on the reunion of two childhood friends—Clare Kendry and Irene Redfield—and their increasing fascination with each other's lives.
- Nella Larsen, Carla Kaplan
- 1929
First published in 1929, Nella Larsen’s Passing is a classic novel of the Harlem Renaissance. Named for the practice of racial passing, or escaping discrimination by claiming to be white, Larsen’s second novel explores the intricacies of identity in race-obsessed 20th-century America.
Nella Larsen’s Passing opens with the protagonist Irene reading the second letter she has ever received from her childhood acquaintance Clare, in which Clare asks Irene if they can see each other. The letter angers Irene, though the reason why is not yet clear.
Jul 2, 2024 · Passing, novel by Nella Larsen, published in 1929. Larsen’s novel, which closely followed her prizewinning Quicksand (1928), explores the complexities of racial identity in early 20th-century New York.
- Nicky Marsh
A classic novel about a Black woman who passes for white and reconnects with her childhood friend in 1920s Harlem. Read ratings, reviews, and an introduction by Brit Bennett, the bestselling author of The Vanishing Half.
- (66.6K)
- Paperback
A classic novel by Nella Larsen about two light-skinned Black women who pass for white in different ways. Irene, a practical and determined housewife, reconnects with Clare, a self-centered and reckless socialite, and their lives become entangled in a web of lies and betrayal.
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Nov 10, 2021 · The one thing most people know about Nella Larsen's Passing is that it explores a peculiar kind of deception — being born into one marginalized racial category and slipping into...
