by Sarah Wagner

Tragic, complex and enlightening, Nella Larsen’s 1929 novel, Passing, explores the complexities of racial and sexual identity through the tumultuous relationship between two mixed-race women, Irene Redfield and Claire Kendry. 

By Sarah Wagner

'In, out, done.’ That’s the motto of Jason Garcia, the moody, self-confident heart surgeon in The Half of Us. I love a bit of romantic fiction and, imagining the book to be a little like a Mills and Boon for a gay audience, I expected my take on it to be pretty much like his take on men – pick it up quick, finish it fast, and, in my case, write a review. Over, done and dusted.

Having read the book in an afternoon, I did finish it fast. But, instead of the sweet, unrealistic love story I imagined, I found the novel to be a super enjoyable, modern, thought-provoking take on the evolution of a relationship between two adults, both of whom bring their own characters, problems, and, sometimes selfish, needs to the table.