Originally published in 1900, this groundbreaking novel by a distinguished African-American author explores the Southern obsession with race. The drama of a brother and sister who "pass for white" during the dangerous days of Reconstruction, it offers realistic, unsentimental perspectives on the role of race in 19th-century American life. Reprint of the Houghton, Mifflin and Company, Boston and New York, 1900 edition.
Tales of Conjure and The Color Line: 10 Stories by Charles Waddell Chesnutt Ten wonderful stories by pioneer of African-American fiction: "The Goophered Grapevine," "Po' Sandy," "Sis' Becky's Pickaninny," "The Wife of His Youth," "Dave's Neckliss," "The Passing of Grandison," more. Witty, charming, insightful.
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.
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 Blacker the Berry by Wallace Thurman The first novel to openly address color prejudice among black Americans, this moving tale unfolds amid the Harlem Renaissance in an enduringly relevant examination of racial, sexual, and cultural identity.