book review: "Passing"...

...written by Nella Larsen. I found it in the library, on the shelf with recorded books. Surprised to find it was first published in 1929, though the copyright for the talking book is dated 2003. The era when the book was written and published was vastly different from the present day, with expectations,  amenities and requirements for polite society a world away from the culture of the twenty first century. People dressed for dinner, went to balls and parties that were formal, invitation only affairs. Upper crust life styles seemingly alien when compared to the present day.

The author of the book was involved in the Harlem Renaissance era, and the first Black woman who was a recipient of the Guggenheim creative writing award. You see the meaning of the title: a reference to people of African American heritage living surreptitiously as Caucasians. Unwilling to reveal their history and trying to make others believe they are not racially mixed, in constant fear of being discovered as charlatans. The details included in the writing brought that era to life, making the characters seem very realistic and believable.

Quoted from the back of the Cd set: "Claire Kendry is a black woman who passes for white. She is married to a white man who does not know her heritage. Wife of a successfull black doctor, she refuses to admit that racism influences her world. When Clare and Irene meet by chance after many years, their lives become intertwined once again. But now the relationship forces both women to confront their lies and secret fears."

The two women were school mates in their youth, went their separate ways and had chance meeting in a restaurant. One is very reluctant to renew the friendship, while the other is very demanding, applying pressure for them to regain an old relationship. Both women are of mixed descent, but one is living as a society matron in the black community, and the other hiding her history from all who know her. There is a surprising ending - something I did not expect. It was interesting, and the idea of 'passing' is something that has stuck in  my brain, to be pondered for days after finishing the story.