Black and White Tangled Threads (1920) is a novel by African American
author Zara Wright. Published at the beginning of the Harlem
Renaissance, Wright's novel earned nationwide praise as a "realistic
portrayal of individuals and events [that] lifts one to the heights of
earthly ambitions." Despite this critical success, Wright does not
appear to have written more than Black and White Tangled Threads and
its sequel, Kenneth, which were published together in 1920. Although
recent scholars have made attempts to return her name to its rightful
place on the pantheon of pioneering African American writers, mystery
still clouds her life and career to this day. Like many of her
contemporaries, Wright took interest in the sociopolitical realities of
life as a Black or mixed-race person in the early twentieth century. In
this novel, she explores the consequences of passing, interracial
marriage, and class on the lives of individuals in the United States and
Europe. Black and White Tangled Threads is a story of love, family,
and faith from a forgotten writer of the Harlem Renaissance. With a
beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this
edition of Zara Wright's Black White and Tangled Threads is a classic
work of African American literature reimagined for modern readers.