First published to acclaim in 1929, "Passing" tells the story of two black women who cross the color line. Irene Radfield has an enviable life with her husband and sons in a comfortable Harlem town house. But Irene's hold on this life begins to slip the day she encounters Clare Kendry, a lost childhood friend. Clare - light-skinned, beautiful, charming - has for years passed for white, hiding her true identity from her racist husband. As Clare begins inserting herself into Irene's life, Irene is thrown into a panic, terrified of the consequences of Clare's dangerous behavior.
Brilliantly plotted and elegantly written, "Passing" offers a gripping psychological portrait of emotional extremity.