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Aug 19, 2016DBRL_KatSU rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
I had never heard of Anita Hemmings before I learned of this book! "The Gilded Years" follows Anita in her senior year (1897) at Vassar College, where black women were not admitted. Anita was black, but very light skinned, and she gained admittance by passing as white. Her new roommate, Lottie, introduced her to the seemingly magical world of the privileged, and despite all the warnings from her family (and the truth she knew herself), she allowed herself to become close to Lottie. And close to a handsome, wealthy Harvard gentleman. It all becomes too much for Anita when her brother (who is also light-skinned, but not quite as light as Anita) becomes the apple of Lottie's eye. I genuinely enjoyed this story, but I feel that the dialogue felt forced and unnatural at times- though this could have just been the author attempting to show the time period. I also had some trouble with the reasoning behind some of the characters' actions. Given all that, I still highly recommend this historical fiction novel!