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Book Review of The Gilded Years

The Gilded Years
The Gilded Years
Author: Karin Tanabe
Genre: Literature & Fiction
Book Type: Paperback
sophiespencermom avatar reviewed on + 9 more book reviews


I enjoyed the book, it was a quick and fun read. Howver, I would have preferred more focus on Anita and the racial issues and the psychological and ethical difficulties involved in passing as white. It seems like a lot of the story was about Lottie who was basically just a spoiled brat, and a lot of girlish romance stuff and collegiate traditions. There were whole sections where it seemed like Anita was just any other student. But I did find it a gripping read and was hooked on the story, wanting to know how it would all play out. I was disappointed in the ending. Without giving anything away, I felt there was a major disconnect and I wanted to know why Anita made the decision that she made, but it all happened off screen, so it was very disappointing. That's why I did not give this book five stars. I do have to wonder if an African-American writer would have told the story very differently.