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Passing by Nella Larsen is a classic I can’t believe I haven’t picked up until now! The novella follows Irene, a 1920’s New Yorker whose life of staid respectability is upended when she crosses paths with someone from her past: Clare, a Black woman passing in white society. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ The two are opposites: Irene is measured where Clare is thoughtless and daring, and the divergence of their paths — and their reunion — has far reaching consequences for them both. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Both women have convinced themselves of the rightness of the path they have set themselves upon, and both slowly begin to question that surety over the course of the novel: ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Irene and Brian clash over his desire to leave the US and it’s pervasive racism behind, while Clare begins to realize that marriage to her racist husband Jack may be too high a price to pay. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Clare writes to Irene: “It may just be that after all your way may be the wiser and infinitely happier one. I’m not sure just now. At least not so sure as I have been.” ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ The pacing! The language! The power dynamics! All of this contributes to a propulsive story that captures different facets of the Harlem Renaissance era — at the heart of the story are three characters: one who has assimilated into white society, one who has not assimilated, and one who dreams of leaving America altogether (Washington, DuBois, and Garvey’s views are clear). ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ And yet, the conversations in the text remain relevant to today’s political landscape, particularly when it comes to assimilation, gender, colorism, and whether it is best to shelter children from the realities of white supremacy or to prepare them for the world in which they are already learning and growing. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ While the movie was a bit of a let down, my book club held a great discussion about this text that had me wanting to read it all over again. via Instagram https://instagr.am/p/CkiX1TfLh8N/