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It was the fall of 1896, the first day of her last year at
Vassar. She’d finally get to partake of the bittersweet
rites that senior students enjoyed, and she anticipated a
post-graduate future as a scholar of Greek studies, maybe
even a professor. She studied hard and made what she hoped
would be lifelong friends – but she was always careful.
She had to be.
Anita was African American. Vassar had an official ban on
black students.
She’d been dreaming about attending Vassar since she was a
little girl, but she’d been warned about their admissions
policy. Even so, someone at her church told her to try
anyhow; two of Anita’s ancestors were white, and her skin
was “high yellow.” She could easily pass – but for four
years?
Education was important to her family and, though it had
taken a lot of diligence and care, Anita knew that
graduation would be worth every night out denied, every
study-session alone, each dance missed. It was all about to
pay off.
And then she was assigned to be Lottie Taylor’s roommate.
Everybody on the East Coast knew the Taylor family, Lottie
in particular. She was rich and beautiful, well-traveled and
fun-loving. Lottie was never without her large wardrobe, her
mischievous streak, or a beau, and she embraced Anita
without question. She pulled Anita out of solitude, took her
on trips, and introduced her to a life of wealth and
comfort. And then Anita got a little too careless…
Alrighty then. I guess the next thing to do is to figure out
who’ll play whom in the movie version of The Gilded Years.
Yes, this is the stuff that Hollywood (and readers!) love
because there really was an Anita Hemmings and she
really did matriculate at Vassar by “passing”; in
fact, she became that college’s first African-American
graduate.
In her afterword, author Karin Tanabe says she came across
this story some years ago and decided that it needed
telling. In doing so, she also pulls readers into the late
Victorian age: a time of swooning femininity, burgeoning
women’s consciousness, and racism that sizzled in places
unexpected. As for the real Anita Hemmings, while Tanabe
admits to taking slight literary license with her tale
itself, readers can expect a wonderful, tightly-told
semi-biographical period piece with an explosive pinnacle.
When you pack your bags for vacation, work, or just a day
away, toss this book on the top. You’ll want to dive into it
as much as possible, because The Gilded Years is
truly a worthy read. |
