Quicksand & Passing

Now a major motion picture starring Tessa Thompson; Ruth Negga and Alexander Skarsgard. A writer of the Harlem Renaissance; Nella Larsen wrote just two novels; published here; and a handful of short stories. Critically acclaimed; both speak powerfully of the contradictions and restrictions experienced by black women at that time. Quicksand; written in 1928; is an autobiographical novel about Helga Crane; a mixed race woman caught between fulfilling her desires and gaining respectability in her middle class neighbourhood. Written a year later; Passing tells the story of two childhood friends; Clare and Irene; both light skinned enough to pass as white. Reconnecting in adulthood; Clare has chosen to live as a white woman; while Irene embraces black culture and has an important role in her community. Nella Larsen's novels are moving; characterful; and important books. She pioneered writing about the conflicts of sexuality; race and the secret suffering of women in the early twentieth century.