The classic novel of two mixed-race siblings who flee the South after the Civil War, hiding their identities-until a romance brings the truth to light. A landmark in African American literature, The House Behind the Cedars tells the tale of Rena Walden, who runs away from North Carolina to start a new life with her brother. Their mixed ancestry allows them to "pass" as white-and they settle into life in Clarence, South Carolina, keeping their past a secret. But Rena eventually becomes romantically involved with a white man from a prominent and wealthy family-and their lives are turned upside-down when her true heritage is revealed.
