Reviews tagging 'Domestic abuse'

Passing by Nella Larsen

5 reviews

cloversplatt's review

challenging emotional informative reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Hate crime, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, and Slavery

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Hate crime, Police brutality, Religious bigotry, Pregnancy, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Colonisation, and Classism

lateromantic's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, and Outing

Moderate: Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Infidelity, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Blood, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol

Minor: Stalking, Colonisation, and Classism

silverrose187's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective tense slow-paced

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Racial slurs, and Racism

madisoncarter's review

reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

wow, i loved this book! it feels more like a short story but it was so captivating with such rich thought. i got caught up in the mind of irene and it is written in the 20s style i really enjoy

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Racial slurs, and Racism

crafalsk264's review

challenging emotional reflective tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This book is only 130 pages and could be read in one sitting. However it leaves you wishing that it was much longer.  Originally published in 1929, it should be read with the knowledge of the world into it was written.  Some of the language would now be questioned but the writing and language flows together like a beautiful northern lights display and the narrator’s (Robin Miles) reading strings them into a melody.

Rene (Irene) Redfield and Clare Kendry Bellew were childhood best friends and constant companions until the death of Clare’s alcoholic and abusive father.  With no other family, 12 year old Clare is sent to live with her  two maiden aunts who are white, good Christian ladies. The aunts generously provided a place to live, clothes, food, and the other necessities in return for Clare’s cooking, cleaning and laundry. Clare begins to see  her friend and community of color less and less often until she lost all contacts from her former self.  After a separation of many years, a chance meeting reunites the friends. During the intervening years, both had married, had children and settled into their respective lives in two different worlds. Clare had married a wealthy powerful man who is  also a fierce racist and who knew nothing of his wife’s true biracial heritage.  Irene had married a black doctor and became a leader in black upper middle class society. As the friends become close again, Clare begins to enter black society and finds it interesting and alluring.  The novel follows the progress of Clare’s return to the society of her original race and her husband’s eventual discovery of her deception. The final confrontation results in Clare’s sudden death in questionable circumstances and leaves the reader wanting more.

The characters are well developed, the plot engaging, and the ending both satisfying and cliffhanging.  I would totally recommend this to anyone who has enjoyed The Vanishing Half which was partially inspired by Passing. The reviews of this book frequently mention that the readers have reread Passing many times. I suspect that this will be the case for me.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs

Moderate: Child abuse

Minor: Domestic abuse