Recently Read: Passing

I have been really enjoying my Introduction to Prose English class I am taking at my college. We are reading mostly short novels, and most of them I had not previously heard of or knew much about which has been exciting. Recently we have finished Passing by Nella Larsen. Published in 1929 this short novel is about two African American women who were childhood friends and meet after years of separation. Upon this reunion, Irene, the main character of the novel, learns that her friend Clare has chosen to "pass" as a white women and has married a white man who has no knowledge of her heritage.

I really enjoyed this book and read it in one day. The story is easy to follow, straightforward, but yet intriguing. This book has a really great ending. I guarantee that after you read the ending you will think about it for days.

I had never heard of this book or this author, so I thought I would share it with all of you in case you had never heard of it either. This is a piece from the Harlem Renaissance, and it is one of my favorite pieces I have read from that literary movement. I would recommend this book to classic lovers, and those who don't consider themselves classic readers. It really reads like a modern day novel, and I'm telling you, that ending is one of the best I have read!