Novel Pairings23 Jun 2020

16. Passing by Nella Larsen and books about complicated sisterhood

Today Chelsey and Sara are chatting about 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.

Our discussion includes:

Gatsby connections galore, and an argument for replacing Gatsby with Passing [16:35]
Intersectionality and Irene's struggle with loyalty across race, gender, and class lines [27:56]
Who should pick this up? [32:15]

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.

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.

Show Notes:

Emily Bernard's intro

Excerpt from Vanishing Half

@reggiereads review

Pairings listed below!

Chelsey's Pairings:

My Sister the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite [40:48]

Black is the Body by Emily Bernard [47:05]

The Only Black Girls in Town by Brandy Colbert [53:17]

Sara's Pairings:

Another Brooklyn by Jacqueline Woodson [37:50]

Born a Crime by Trevor Noah [43:14]

The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett [50:00]

Pick of the Week:

You Must Remember This podcast "Passing for White, Merle Oberon"

13th the Ava DuVerny documentary

Denne episoden er hentet fra en åpen RSS-feed og er ikke publisert av Podme. Den kan derfor inneholde annonser.

Episoder(170)

165. Celebrate Novel Pairings with Chelsey and Sara with a Farewell Q&A

For our final episode of Novel Pairings, we opened up the mailbag to answer your thoughtful listener questions. From reflections on our favorite classics to behind-the-scenes stories, we're sharing a ...

3 Jun 20251h 6min

164. Brand New Books with Backlist Pairings: Summer 2025 Edition

Get ready to load your summer totes with compelling reads, both new and old! We're sharing our anticipated summer releases on today's episode, carefully curated from a long list of captivating titles ...

20 Mai 20251h 1min

163. Reflections on Emma and 250 years of Jane Austen

We're wrapping up our Emma readalong with final reflections on rereading, standout themes, and Austen's legacy. We also chat about how we're marking the momentous occasion of Jane Austen's 250th anni...

6 Mai 202556min

162. Emma by Jane Austen Recap Six: A Perfect Union

In this episode, we reach the culmination of Jane Austen's Emma, where secrets are revealed, relationships evolve, and characters face pivotal choices that will shape their futures. We discuss shiftin...

15 Apr 20251h 22min

161. Emma by Jane Austen Recap Five: Badly Done, Emma

In this episode, we're unpacking so many juicy moments—from Frank Churchill's restless return to Highbury and the long-awaited ball at the Crown Inn to Harriet's shocking misadventure and Mr. Knightle...

8 Apr 20251h 8min

160. Emma by Jane Austen Recap Four: Jane Fairfax & Mrs. Elton

In this episode, we're savoring the drama and intrigue of Emma, Volume Two, Chapters 9 through 18. The aftermath of the Cole's party has Emma rehashing every social triumph and misstep, from her jealo...

1 Apr 20251h 4min

159. Emma by Jane Austen Recap Three: A Mysterious Pianoforte

In this recap, we're discussing Volume Two, Chapters 1-8 of Emma by Jane Austen. In this episode, we'll explore the arrival of some intriguing new characters to Highbury that shake up Emma's carefully...

25 Mar 202557min

158. Emma by Jane Austen Recap Two: Matchmaking or Meddling

In this recap, we're diving into Emma by Jane Austen — covering Volume One, Chapters 10–18. Join us on Patreon for bonus content. Emma Woodhouse is back at it — charming, meddling, and trying to navi...

18 Mar 20251h 7min