For readers of The Vanishing Half, a hidden gem from the Harlem
Renaissance about a young Black woman's journey toward self-acceptance
while passing as white in 1920s New York City.
Originally published in 1929 at the height of the Harlem Renaissance,
Plum Bun is the story of Angela Murray, a young Black woman of mixed
heritage who uses the advantages of her lighter skin to escaper her own
life. Beginning with a childhood in her Black middle class Philadelphia
neighborhood, Angela dreams of being a renowned painter. She believes
she will only achieve this through whiteness and being a part of white
society. Bestowed with the light skin of her mother, while her sister
Virginia's darker complexion resembles that of their father's, Angela
refuses to accept a life dictated by the limitations that come with her
race and gender.
Leaving behind her family and identity, Angela escapes to a roaring New
York City where she befriends the art elites and presents herself as a
white woman. Thrust into a world of seduction, betrayal, love, lust, and
heartbreak, Angela soon discovers that to find true fulfillment within
herself, she must accept and embrace her own identity--both her race and
gender. Written with meticulous care and appreciation for the
complicated nature of her characters, while also highlighting the beauty
of every day Black life, Jessie Redmon Fauset's Plum Bun raises
important questions to inspire new readers.
