Publisher's Synopsis
The House Behind The Cedars is a novel written by Charles W. Chesnutt, published in 1900. The story is set in the American South during the late 19th century and explores themes of race, identity, and social class.The novel follows the story of John and Rena Walden, two siblings who are of mixed-race heritage. John is light-skinned and is able to pass as white, while Rena is darker-skinned and cannot. John decides to leave his hometown and pass as white, changing his name to John Warwick and establishing himself as a successful lawyer in a nearby city.Years later, Rena also decides to pass as white and joins John in the city, where they begin a romantic relationship. However, their relationship is complicated by the fact that John is still passing as white and is engaged to a white woman.The novel explores the tensions and complexities of race and identity in the American South during this time period. It also delves into the social hierarchies and power dynamics that existed between white and black communities.Overall, The House Behind The Cedars is a thought-provoking and nuanced exploration of race and identity in the American South, and remains a significant work in African American literature.""That, my dear Rowena, is my good friend and client, George Tryon, of North Carolina. If he had been a stranger, I should have said that he took a liberty; but as things stand, we ought to regard it as a compliment. The incident is quite in accord with the customs of chivalry. If George were but masked and you were veiled, we should have a romantic situation.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.
