Passing

'It's funny about passing... we disapprove of it and at the same time condone it. It excites our contempt and yet we rather admire it.'
First published in 1929 and based upon Larsen's own experiences with colourism, Passing is a profound exploration of identity, race and sexuality.
Old childhood friends – Clare Kendry and Irene Redfield – are thrown together once again after losing touch in their adulthood, forced to contend with the stark differences in their lifestyles. Clare, an ambitious, fair-skinned woman, is married to a racist white man who is unsuspecting of her black roots. Irene, meanwhile, sits on the committee for the 'Negro Welfare League', embracing her origins. Uncomfortable with Clare's attempts at 'passing' as white, Irene tries to cultivate distance between the two of them. But Clare is persistent, and begins to reintegrate herself into the black community to devastating consequences… Tragic, deeply moving and an incisive commentary on colourism, Passing established Larsen as a leading writer of the twentieth century.
Nella Larsen (1891 – 1964) was an American novelist and short story writer. A prominent literary figure during the Harlem Renaissance and American modernist movement, Larsen's works have been lauded by contemporaries and critics alike. Today, she is remembered for her two novels, Quicksand and Passing, which explored race, identity and sexuality.