The Gilded Years

Inspired by the extraordinary true story of Anita Hemmings — the first Black woman to attend Vassar College by passing as white — this captivating historical novel is a powerful portrait of ambition, identity, and the dangerous cost of belonging. Perfect for fans of The Vanishing Half and The Gilded Age.

Vassar College, 1893. Anita Hemmings has achieved what once seemed impossible: acceptance into the most prestigious women’s college in America. Intelligent, poised, and fiercely determined, she enters a glittering world of privilege and opportunity that was never meant for someone like her. Because Anita is hiding a secret that could destroy everything she has worked for — she is African American.

With her light complexion and careful silence, Anita has managed to pass as white, becoming the only Black student at Vassar. But living among the daughters of America’s wealthiest families means every friendship, every conversation, and every glance carries risk.

When Anita is assigned to room with the magnetic and wealthy Lottie Taylor, she is drawn into the dazzling inner circle of New York high society. For the first time, Anita experiences what it feels like to move through the world with freedom, admiration, and possibility. She even finds herself falling for a charming Harvard student whose future seems as bright as her own.

But as Anita grows closer to the people around her, maintaining the fragile boundaries between truth and survival becomes increasingly impossible. And when questions about her family begin to surface just as graduation approaches, Anita faces the terrifying prospect of losing everything — her education, her future, and the life she has fought so hard to claim.

Richly atmospheric and emotionally compelling, The Gilded Years is an unforgettable story of courage, sacrifice, love, and the extraordinary lengths one woman dared to go for a chance at a different life.

‘Smart and thoughtful … A must-read’ PopSugar

‘Insightfully grapples with complex and compelling issues’ Booklist

‘The beautiful and the damned takes on a whole new meaning … A poignant imagining inside the most complex survival phenomenon: passing. With the grandeur of the Gilded Age intertwined with romance and suspense, you won’t be able to put this period piece down until you know how her story ends.’ Vanity Fair