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Penguin Random House South Africa

Categories: Classics, Fiction, International Fiction, Adult
ISBN: 9781529981308
Published: August 2026
Page Extent: 160
Format: Paperback
RRP 275.00

Passing

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About the book

The classic 1920s story of a friendship torn apart, Passing is Nella Larsen's devastating masterpiece

Irene Redfield is living a life of careful balance in Harlem when a chance encounter draws her back into the orbit of Clare Kendry, a childhood friend. Passing as white, Clare moves effortlessly through a world that Irene has chosen to reject. Their renewed intimacy is charged with fascination and envy.

BRIEF ENCOUNTERS: classic novellas and captivating stories, to be read in a single sitting or savoured over days

About the Author

Nella Larsen

Nella Larsen

Nella Larsen (1891-1964) was an American novelist and major figure in the Harlem Renaissance. Born in Chicago, she attended university in Nashville and subsequently lived in Denmark and New York, where she worked as a nurse and librarian. Her two novels, Quicksand (1928) and Passing (1929), established her as one of the most important black female novelists in American history.

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