Passing by Nella Larsen
A Review By: RS
Light-skinned Black woman Irene Redfield encounters an old childhood friend - Clare - who is now "passing" as a White woman. Clare is married to a racist White man, who doesn't know she has African American blood. In spite of the danger of being found out by her husband and society at large, she finds herself helplessly drawn to Irene's world....
Passing is a fascinating listening experience on many simultaneous levels.
Review Notes:
Audio Book Publication Year: 2020
An installment in a Series? No
Narrator (s): Tessa Thompson
Clare found the benefits of being able to pass for White . Irene embraces her race except when passing could benefit her...
Passing is about more than "passing." This story delves into perceptions of others’ lives. On one hand, you have Irene, who lives her life as the black woman she is, is married to a black man with 2 black sons, but has no problem using her fair skin to move within the white community when necessary. On the other hand, Clare found that being white was much more exciting and acceptable than being black. When these two former childhood friends reunite, their worlds are turned upside down by their life choices. Knowing how dangerous a game Clare is playing, Irene doesn't readily welcome the reconnection. Clare, however, craves the reconnection of not only an old friend but with "her" (black) people. Their story becomes more about the perception of who has a better life. This physiological tale of racism and jealousy kept me engaged and intrigued to see how these two friends' stories would unfold. I really liked the end of the book because it is a discussion starter. It is left to the readers' interpetation, which adds to the intrigue.
It only made sense for Tessa Thompson to narrate this book as she plays Irene in the movie adaptation. I think she did an excellent job of capturing each character.
While most times the movie is not quite like the book, I would say check that out too.
My only complaint about this book is the title. I thought it would go more into what passing in the 20's really meant. While the issue of passing is part of the story, it's not really what the story is about as a whole.
Reading Recommendation? Yes
Rating: 3 (It's aight)
Content Warnings? Human or animal loss
