“It’s funny about ‘passing.’ We disapprove of it and at the same time condone it. It excites our contempt and yet we rather admire it. We shy away from it with an odd kind of revulsion, but we protect it” “Rene, dear…your way may be the wiser and infinitely happier one. I’m not sure just now. At least not so sure as I have been” A short book that left one of the biggest contradictory feelings left in me. The idea of “passing” (where light skin women and men could pass for white) is explored through the tumultuous friendship between Irene Redfield and Clare Kendry. Clare’s character was far from perfect in passing for white in order to experience luxury-even so, she kept my interest and I wished the story was a bit longer so that it could explore her a little more. Irene, surprisingly, was equally frustrating in her attempt at maintaining her “perfect life” despite her husband’s restlessness to move and wanting to protect her kids from racism. However, her duty to stand up to protect her race made her more dimensional. If anything, both women were living lives of delusion (believing and wanting things only for themselves) and being something they weren’t (and never should’ve been). Larsen perfectly captured the tragedy of living a race that isn’t yours and what happens when you put your heart over the duty of your race. @thebookjoint_ #mybookfeatures #bookishpost #bookishlife #bookishfeature #bookishphotography #bookishcommunity #mybookfeatures #readingaddict #readingcommunity #readinglife #readingislife #readersgonnaread #bookstagram #avidreader #bookreview #bookrec https://www.instagram.com/p/CpyaAGzrNQe37D8qh0TDqcC_IEoNXSzaho4DP80/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=