The Gilded Years

Books

A captivating historical novel based on the true story of Anita Hemmings, the first Black student to attend the prestigious Vassar College by passing as white - until she let herself grow too attached to the wrong person. For fans of The Vanishing Half and The House of Mirth, from the author of A Women of Intelligence. 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 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 ...