Hello, listeners!
It’s a gorgeous summer day, and I can’t wait to sit outside with a book (and maybe a glass of wine). So let’s get right into it! In this week’s episode, Sara and I discuss Passing by Nella Larsen. Published in 1929, Passing 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.
Sara has studied, taught, and adored this book for awhile, but it was my very first time reading it. I loved Larsen’s atmospheric prose, the simmering tension, and the short novella format. In the episode, we mention replacing The Great Gatsby with Passing on high school reading lists. I’d love to hear if we convinced any teachers out there to take that on.
Here are some Passing-inspired links to browse:
In The Vanishing Half, Brit Bennett investigates “If you can perform whiteness, then what does it mean to be white?”
We love this stunning Penguin Vitae copy of Passing.
Brit Bennett reimagines the literature of passing, in The New Yorker (can you tell we LOVED The Vanishing Half?).
Two of our favorite bookstagrammers got to chat with Bennett on Good Morning America! It was such fun to see them in this segment.
Some of these links are Bookshop affiliate links. We earn a small commission when you make a purchase using these links (plus, you support independent bookstores).
Coming Up:
Get your TBR lists ready. Next week, we’re pairing this summer’s hottest new releases with backlist titles that might be more readily available at the library. We just recorded our conversation on The Odyssey, and we couldn’t stop laughing! I can’t wait for you to hear that episode soon. On July 14th, we’re releasing another episode of what we call “Short Story Club” on “All Summer in a Day” by Ray Bradbury. Read along and join us for a science fiction deep dive.
Currently Reading:
I’m so glad Sara told me that Stamped from the Beginning is on sale at Libro.fm* right now. I have a copy at home, but I’m spending summer with family and didn’t pack it. I was kicking myself for leaving it behind when Crystal announced her read along, but now I can join in. I’m also reading and enjoying This Lovely City by Louise Hare. I’d recommend it to fans of Dear Mrs. Bird.
*Listeners, we’re excited to be partnering with Libro.fm to offer you three audiobooks for the price of one. Just click this link to get three audiobooks for $15 all while supporting the pod and independent bookstores!
Where to find us:
Download episodes of Novel Pairings wherever you get your podcasts. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. Find Sara at @fictionmatters and my blog. Find me at @chelseyreads or @hereadsheread. We love hearing what you’re reading so feel free to tag us!
We declare after all, there is no enjoyment like reading! How much sooner one tires of any thing than of a book!
Have a lovely week, everyone!
-Chelsey