A captivating historical novel based on the true story of Anita Hemmings, the first Black student to attend the prestigious Vassar College by passing as white.
Since childhood, Anita Hemmings has longed to attend the country’s most exclusive school for women, Vassar College. Now, a bright, beautiful senior in the class of 1897, she is hiding a secret that would have banned her from admission: Anita is the only African-American student ever to attend Vassar. With her olive complexion and dark hair, she has successfully passed as white, but now finds herself rooming with Lottie Taylor, an heiress of one of New York’s most prominent families.
Though Anita has kept herself at a distance from her classmates, Lottie’s sphere of influence is inescapable, her energy irresistible, and the two become fast friends. Pulled into her elite world, Anita learns what it’s like to be treated as a wealthy, educated white woman – the person everyone believes her to be – and even finds herself in a heady romance with a well-off Harvard student. But when Lottie becomes curious about Anita’s family the situation becomes particularly perilous, and as Anita’s graduation looms, those closest to her will be the ones to dangerously threaten her secret.
Set against the vibrant backdrop of the Gilded Age, an era when old money traditions collided with modern ideas, The Gilded Years is a story of hope, sacrifice and betrayal – and a gripping account of how one woman dared to risk everything for the chance at a better life.
The Gilded Years is one of the most fascinating historical novels that I’ve read recently, and I read a lot of historical fiction. It was first published in 2016 but has been re-released in this new edition ahead of the upcoming film adaption. We think it’s smart to read this novel before the release of what’s sure to be a hit movie starring Zendaya who also produced it alongside Reese Witherspoon’s production company, Hello Sunshine. This novel also comes at a time when this subject matter and era is in the limelight, with the recent release of the television show The Gilded Age and the film Passing. The Gilded Years similarly explores the discrimination and race relations, which governed America for so long.
This novel is impeccably researched by Tanabe, who is herself a graduate of Vassar College in New York state where the novel is set. Tanabe’s discovery of the little-known Anita Hemmings prompted her to take a deep dive into Anita and this time period. Her research, with the help of Anita’s actual great-granddaughter, revealed an astonishing story that went largely unknown for so long. The racial discrimination of the time is confronting, sitting front and centre in this novel, as Tanabe explores the privilege of those in society’s upper echelons, and the lengths some went to keep society segregated.
Anita is a wonderful protagonist, who finds strength in the face of unparalleled odds and inner turmoil, all while excelling academically and socially. Tanabe has brought this incredible woman to life, and it is a story that deserves to be told.
While I eagerly await the film adaptation, I strongly encourage all lovers of historical fiction to read the book first. The Gilded Years is a thought-provoking and gripping historical that is bound to be on everyone’s radar this year.
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