Passing for Black

Being black, the right kind of black, was difficult. It was like being in a cult--a secret society with rules as fluid as waves. . .

In the six years that Angela Wright has been with her fiancéKeith Redfield, her life has settled neatly into place. Keith, a professor of African-American history, has helped her become comfortable in her own skin. And Angela's career at Désire magazine is thriving. She's got nothing to worry about--or so she thinks. . .

Angela's best friend Mae is always there to ground her, whether they're joking about the importance of good hair or gossiping about their rival Tatiana Braithwaite--a milk chocolate Barbie with beauty, breeding, and an irritating knack for perfection. Mae reminds Angela how lucky she is to have found a successful, single brother. But when a chance meeting leaves Angela consumed with desire for an intriguing stranger, she impulsively decides to follow wherever it may lead--from outrageous underground sex parties to intimate encounters that are both torrid and tender.

Now everything Angela has come to believe about sex, love, identity, and race is called into question as this explosive new passion blows her world wide open. . .

Linda Villarosa is a freelance writer and editor. She is a former editor of both the New York Times and Essence Magazine, where she wrote a number of award-winning articles. The author of Body & Soul: The Black Women's Guide to Physical Health and Emotional Well-Being, a Blackboard Bestseller, Linda has also written several other books. She lives in Brooklyn, New York, with her partner and two children. Passing For Black is her first novel.

"Passing for Black is Kissing Jessica Stein meets Good Hair. The characters are outrageous and real and heartfelt. Linda Villarosa has written an important, entertaining debut. Brava!" --Benilde Little, author of Who Does She Think She Is?

"Passing for Black weaves issues of identity and sexuality into an engaging tale of love, passion and family. Finally the story we've been waiting for, delivered in page turning, finely written prose by one of my favorite writers." --E. Lynn Harris, New York Times bestselling author

"Passing for Black is a lively page turner that follows the complicated process of coming out as African-American and female and middle-class. It is a sweet, romantic, and sometimes funny tale, brushed nicely with issues of race, class and sexuality. As Angela tumbles along her journey to self discovery, I found myself rooting for her to find the way." --Staceyann Chin

"Passing for Black is a sophisticated, sexy romp of a novel with characters who resemble real life." --Ebony Magazine, Hot Pick, June 2008

"Linda Villarosa makes Passing for Black wholly engaging. It is a quick and fun read, hard not to smile." --Gary M. Kramer, Philadelphia Gay News

"Passing for Black addresses important issues such as race and sexuality, but one of the many things I loved about it was how all of the characters are so authentically and richly flawed. That contributed to its sexiness." --Heather O'Neill, afterellen.com

"In Passing for Black, Linda Villarosa's fast-paced debut, you'll get an interesting twist on the love triangle." --Essence, Top 10 Summer Sizzlers, June 2008