Three African-American classics: The Heroic Slave, Frederick Douglass's piercing tale of a slave ship rebellion; Clotel, William Wells Brown's prophetic story about a child conceived by Thomas Jefferson and one of his slaves; and Harriet E. Wilson's OurNig, the semi-autobiographical novel of a young mulatto, exploited by the family she works for . . . and the man she marries. Dover Original.
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."
Quicksand by Nella Larsen Brave, bold, and brilliant, Larsen's autobiographical portrait of a biracial woman's quest for self-identity and acceptance offers a cautionary tale of an individual lost between two cultures.
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.
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.
The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man by James Weldon Johnson African-American writer's pioneering novel parallels his own life, probes the psychological aspects of "passing for white," and examines the American caste and class system. Major contribution to American literature.
