Plum Bun

Plum Bun is a rediscovered classic from the Harlem Renaissance about a young Black woman's journey as she passes as white in 1920s New York City. The novel explores her quest for self-acceptance, with an introduction by Glory Edim, founder and author of Well-Read Black Girl.

Jessie Redmon Fauset, a literary titan and foremost tastemaker of the Harlem Renaissance, was hired by W. E. B. Du Bois to edit The Crisis, helping to popularise writers like Nella Larsen, Claude McKay, and Langston Hughes, among countless others. Despite her influence, Fauset's own work has been largely underread in the twenty-first century.

Written in 1929, at the height of the Harlem Renaissance, Fauset's celebrated second novel tells the story of Angela Murray. Growing up in a Black middle-class Philadelphia neighbourhood, Angela has always dreamed of becoming a painter. However, the profession is largely reserved for white society.

When Angela's parents prematurely pass away, she moves to the roaring New York City, befriending elite artists and presenting herself as a white woman. While her sister Virginia's complexion resembles their father's, Angela's is lighter, like their mother's, leading her to believe that passing is the only way she'll achieve success. Meanwhile, Virginia refuses to bow to racist pressures and stays in Philadelphia to embrace her heritage with pride.

Each time Angela believes she has found artistic, professional, and romantic fulfilment, her ethnicity gets exposed, stripping her of everything she values. As she navigates a world filled with seduction, betrayal, lust, and heartbreak, she is forced to consider: What does it mean to find genuine success in a society marred by injustice?

Fauset's novel, described as "a novel without morals," never passes judgement and remains filled with tenderness. Full of moments that highlight the joy of everyday Black life, Plum Bun is a pertinent meditation on art, identity, and what it means to find community—remaining as relevant today as ever before.