Short Fiction

Passing (1929)

Passing is a novella about two light-skinned Black women, Clare Kendry and Irene Redfield, who reunite in 1920s Harlem. Clare "passes" as white and is married to a racist white man who doesn't know her true identity. Irene, who embraces her Black identity, is both fascinated and disturbed by Clare's risky life. As Clare tries to re-enter Black society through Irene's social circle, tensions rise, leading to a dramatic and ambiguous ending involving Clare's mysterious death.

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