Nella Larsen's 1929 novella follows friends Irene Redfield and Clare Kendry, two black women who are able to pass as white. Their anxieties about passing culminate in tragedy, revealing the powerful repercussions of hiding one's identity. Nearly a century later, Larsen's exploration of race and privilege remains as urgent and relevant as ever.
Nella Larsen's 1929 novella follows friends Irene Redfield and Clare Kendry, two black women who are able to pass as white. Their anxieties about passing culminate in tragedy, revealing the powerful repercussions of hiding one's identity. Nearly a century later, Larsen's exploration of race and privilege remains as urgent and relevant as ever.