Passing by Nella Larsen - 4 stars

[Sushicat]

Though a short novel, it covers a lot of ground.

Irene's encounter with her childhood friend Clare leads her to reflect on some life choices they made and their consequences. Both women are of mixed race and could pass as white. Irene's husband is clearly colored and her life is tied to the higher society levels in Harlem's colored neighborhood. Clare chose to pass herself as white and is married to a white man who knows nothing about her racial identity. As these two women reconnect, Irene considers consequences of the choices made and how racial identity affects their lives. There's a lot of food for thoughts, wrapped in a very well written book. There's a sense of inevitable doom in the story, which culminates in a stunning end.

[Sushicat]

PS: though not specifically picked for this Nicole's culture challenge, I think it fits the bill very well.

[Nicole R]

Sushicat wrote: "PS: though not specifically picked for this Nicole's culture challenge, I think it fits the bill very well."

Good to know! This looks good.