Thank you to NetGAlley and Berkley Publishing Group for providing a free ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This needs to be required in all schools, and if you haven’t read this book, get it immediately! Larsen is a brilliant, gifted writer and weaves a complex, poignant story that covers everything from race and identity to marriage and friendship. Set in 1920s New York, this Harlem Renaissance piece tells the story of how far some will go to hide their true identities, and the pressure society can place on people to look a certain way. Larsen deftly handles the complicated issues of race and what it means to be Black, and the consequences of a Black women “passing” as white. This is a must-read, five stars, absolute classic masterpiece of a story that is as relevant now as it was when it was written. The addition of Brit Bennett’s introduction adds an extra contemporary voice to this important novel that helps bring Larsen’s themes into present day. This was a great addition that I enjoyed reading.