Set (and published) in the 1920s, Clare and Irene were friends and ran into each other after they hadn’t seen each other in a long time. Beyond this, I had to read the summary on GR to get an idea of what was going on. They are both black women and one of them (I can’t remember which) was passing for white. Apparently (based on the summary I read), the one passing is married to a racist man who doesn’t know she is actually black.

I listened to the audio and obviously, wasn’t paying close enough attention to even know what was happening in the book. It didn’t (obviously) hold my interest at all. ( )

Two light-skin mixed-race friends grow up to be in two different situations. Irene Redfield decides to marry a Black man and remain in the world she was born into. Clare Kendra decides to marry a white man, "pass" as white and live in the "white" world until she accidentally runs into her old friend and experiences Irene's world. Enjoyed the book and learned about the phenomenon of passing. ( )

This is the kind of book that stays with you; the kind where you turn the page and hope for more, even though you know it's done. It's the kind of book where you need to take a minute because it hurts a little. There are no heroes here, just people trying to do what they think is best, with disastrous results. ( )

I read this because it is the first selection in the new Netflix book club. I'm not really sure what to say about it or even how to rate it. It has such a violent, shocking and abrupt ending that I felt shocked and violated. "Wait. What just happened?" I'll have to think on this one for awhile,. The thing is, no matter how long I think on it, I'll never know for sure. That was the author's intention.
Aside from the ending, the rest of the novella was taut, well-crafted prose. This author conveys more in her little 99 page novella than Ken Follet does in his 1,000 page sagas.
The film will be released in the US on Nov. 10th. I just hope they don't ruin the story as is so often the case when adapting a story for the screen.

"Did she just....No, surely not. But what about....?" ( )

Like a lot of modern american the end is the best part!!!! kinda reminiscent of ethan frome ( )