Seminal autobiographical novel, believed to have been the first published by an African-American woman, describes the life of a young mulatto girl named Frado, who, after the death of her mother, is exploited first by a terrifying Northern family for whom she worked and then by an opportunistic husband. Republication on the Boston, 1859 edition.
Passing by Nella Larsen Married to a successful physician and prominently ensconced in society, Irene Redfield leads a charmed existence — until a chance encounter with a childhood friend who has been "passing for white."
The Marrow of Tradition by Charles W. Chesnutt A landmark in the history of African-American fiction, this gripping 1901 novel unfolds against the backdrop of the post-Reconstruction South, climaxing in a race riot based on an actual 1898 incident.
