The Gilded Years, Karin Tanabe
The Gilded Years, Karin Tanabe
5 Rating(s)
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The Gilded Years

Author: Karin Tanabe

Narrator: Janina Edwards

Unabridged: 11 hr 51 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 06/07/2016


Synopsis

Passing meets The House of Mirth in this “utterly captivating” (Kathleen Grissom, New York Times bestselling author of The Kitchen House) historical novel based on the true story of Anita Hemmings, the first black student to attend Vassar, who successfully passed as white—until she let herself grow too attached to the wrong person.

Since childhood, Anita Hemmings has longed to attend the country’s most exclusive school for women, Vassar College. Now, a bright, beautiful senior in the class of 1897, she is hiding a secret that would have banned her from admission: Anita is the only African-American student ever to attend Vassar. With her olive complexion and dark hair, this daughter of a janitor and descendant of slaves has successfully passed as white, but now finds herself rooming with Louise “Lottie” Taylor, the scion of one of New York’s most prominent families.

Though Anita has kept herself at a distance from her classmates, Lottie’s sphere of influence is inescapable, her energy irresistible, and the two become fast friends. Pulled into her elite world, Anita learns what it’s like to be treated as a wealthy, educated white woman—the person everyone believes her to be—and even finds herself in a heady romance with a moneyed Harvard student. It’s only when Lottie becomes infatuated with Anita’s brother, Frederick, whose skin is almost as light as his sister’s, that the situation becomes particularly perilous. And as Anita’s college graduation looms, those closest to her will be the ones to dangerously threaten her secret.

Set against the vibrant backdrop of the Gilded Age, an era when old money traditions collided with modern ideas, Tanabe has written an unputdownable and emotionally compelling story of hope, sacrifice, and betrayal—and a gripping account of how one woman dared to risk everything for the chance at a better life.

About Karin Tanabe

Karin Tanabe is the author of A Woman of Intelligence, The Gilded Years, The Price of Inheritance, A Hundred Suns, The Diplomat’s Daughter, and The List. A former Politico reporter, her writing has also appeared in the Miami Herald, Chicago Tribune, Newsday, and The Washington Post. She has made frequent appearances as a celebrity and politics expert on Entertainment Tonight, CNN, and The CBS Early Show. A graduate of Vassar College, Karin lives in Washington, DC. To learn more visit KarinTanabe.com.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Heidi on July 26, 2022

This is a fine historical fiction novel bringing an unknown to me historical character to life, yet the story surrounds her with fictional characters and conflicts. The premise of passing for white is not unknown to me— I’ve always been both fascinated and saddened by the character in Broadway’s Sho......more

Goodreads review by Marta on April 23, 2017

Great topic. Disappointing book. The Gilded Years brings us a fascinating subject: Anita Hemmings, daughter of a mulatto janitor in Boston, graduated from the exclusive female-only Vassar college in 1897, while passing as white. Cum laude student, proficient in seven languages, a coveted soprano, pop......more

Goodreads review by Gabrielle (Reading Rampage) on February 07, 2021

3 and a half stars. “The Gilded Years” is definitely a blend of Edith Wharton ([URL not allowed]) and Nella Larsen ([URL not allowed] set in 1896-97, in upstate New York, it follows the Wharton playbook of old-fashioned families and their values confronte......more

Goodreads review by Aerion on July 07, 2016

I've never heard of Anita Hemmings, which is a shame because I grew up an African African woman living so close to Vassar College. I wished for this to have more historical and biographical fiction but the author Tanabe writes so beautifully, I was still very enthralled in the book.I love her style......more

Goodreads review by Steph on October 12, 2016

Plot: While the premise was extremely promising, I found the novel to be a little dry. I didn’t mind reading it while I was reading it, but once I put it down, I didn’t bend over backwards to pick it back up. The story is interesting, but I didn’t feel that every scene was necessary and some chapter......more