Passing by Nella Larsen

Passing by Nella Larsen; narrated by Robin Miles | 2012; originally published 1929 | Recorded Books | Audiobook $ 15

Irene Redfield is a Black woman living an affluent, comfortable life with her husband and children in the thriving neighborhood of Harlem in the 1920s. When she reconnects with her childhood friend Clare Kendry, who is similarly lightskinned, Irene discovers that Clare has been passing for a white woman after severing ties to her past — even hiding the truth from her racist husband. Clare finds herself drawn to Irene’s sense of ease and security with her Black identity and longs for the community (and, increasingly, the woman) she lost. Irene is both riveted and repulsed by Clare and her dangerous secret, as Clare begins to insert herself — and her deception — into every part of Irene’s stable existence.

As I wrote in another recent review, for Cane by Jean Toomer, one of my goals in building my giant to-do list of classic lit was to read more works by authors of color or including characters of color, especially works from the Harlem Renaissance. Nella Larsen was a major figure in that cultural movement. I was delighted to learn that she was also a librarian — the very first black woman to graduate from Columbia University’s NYPL Library School, in fact. 

Passing is a rather short novel, but it really packs a punch. Although it’s a kind of social problem novel, with its focus on classism and racism and sexism, the overall vibe is generally more horror-esque. The story is told from the perspective of one of the main characters, whose anxiety intensifies to a painful extreme over the course of the narrative as she grapples with her frenemy’s sometimes dangerous, sometimes malicious, always ambiguous, and ultimately tragic choices.

This book stuck in my head for days after finishing it, which is a sign of a good read. I immediately added the author’s only other novel to my to-read list (Quicksand). 

I think I can recommend this book to other readers who want to dip their toes into the works of the Harlem Renaissance, of course, but also to anyone who is looking for a quick but impactful read with psych-suspenseful horror vibes.

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Links:

• Review from NPR
• Obituary of Nella Larson from The New York Times Overlooked Project
• “Nella Larsen’s Lessons in Library School” from JSTOR Daily

Publication information: Larsen, Nella. Passing. Landover, Maryland: Recorded Books, 2012. Audiobook.
Source: Public library, via Hoopla.
Disclaimer: I am not compensated, monetarily or otherwise, for reviews of books or other products.