Passing, Nella Larsen

 

Passing by Nella Larsen is a book set in the 1920s that was written in the same time dealing with issues of race, sexuality, and gender.

Started: 1/20/2022
Completed: 1/21/2022
Recommendation: Highly Recommended
Recommended By: A list of books to help understand the condition of African Americans.

Words for which I Sought Help:

abstemious -- not self-indulgent, especially when eating and drinking

Review:

The character descriptions are simply amazing and I have to include, "...amazing soft malice..." as one of the best.  This book is not at all what I was expecting from the descriptions I had seen...I do not agree that it is helpful in understanding the condition of African Americans.  I think, rather, that this is simply a book about people--flawed people--who find themselves in challenging circumstances.  Yes, the need to "pass" as white is unique to African Americans and doing so at the time was its own difficulty.  I cannot know whether this is still an issue, although I hope that the need or even the desire to "pass" has been put behind us as a culture.  The writing is clever, intriguing, and even transporting.  I have read other books written in the time period and find that this is easily one of the best regardless of subject matter.  Well worth the read and the time is exceedingly well spent.