16. Passing by Nella Larsen and books about complicated sisterhood

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Today Chelsey and Sara are chatting about Passing by Nella Larsen. Published in 1929,</span> <em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Passing</span></em> <span style="font-weight: 400;">is a book about two women: Clare and Irene, who grew up in the same middle class Black community in Chicago and come back into each other's lives as adults. Irene is living in Harlem with her husband, a successful doctor, while Clare has left the family and friends of her youth behind to marry a white man and pass as white. Clare and Irene’s bond is built on a shared past and a deep mutual affection, but also curiosity and jealousy over the lives each of them might have had. As their lives become more and more intertwined the tension builds, and a sense of impending doom makes this book impossible to put down.</span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Our discussion includes:</span></p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style= "font-weight: 400;"> Gatsby connections galore, and an argument for replacing Gatsby with Passing [16:35]</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style= "font-weight: 400;"> Intersectionality and Irene’s struggle with loyalty across race, gender, and class lines [27:56]</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style= "font-weight: 400;"> Who should pick this up? [32:15]</span></li> </ul> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Plus, as always, we’re recommending six contemporary books to pair with our classic,  including a literary thriller and one of this summer’s buzziest books.</span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This episode will be mostly spoiler-free, except for a brief discussion of the ending. We’ll warn you in advance before we get into it, and timestamps are listed below. </span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Show Notes:</span></p> <p><a href= "https://electricliterature.com/in-nella-larsens-passing-whiteness-isnt-just-about-race/"> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Emily Bernard’s intro</span></