reviews

It's midnight in Paris, now and in the mid–20th century, in Luckett's second novel (after Searching for Tina Turner). In this dreamy and lyrical paean to all things French, a restless African-American woman with a French name (Nicole-Marie Roxane, 56), shucks routine and expectations to live out her dream of traveling to Paris. But her exotic getaway turns into a relentless search for a beautiful woman known to Nicole only from an old photo, Ruby Garrett, whose race and connection to her father are both mysterious. In alternating narratives, Nicole uncovers secrets long held by her difficult parents, as the ferociously independent Ruby describes the freewheeling Paris of the early 1950s, where ambitious black musicians found an appreciative audience and colorblind acceptance. Luckett skips surprisingly smoothly across six decades as the narrative unfolds the mystery of Nicole's identity. But the mystery is hardly the point: Luckett weaves a fascinating portrait of women of color who defy family and tradition to follow love and chase success. Ruby's unflinching, unapologetic choices—even her lies about her race—unsettle Nicole. But Ruby is equally puzzled that Nicole would choose the ordinary over adventure. In the end, it's the soulful, headstrong, romantic Ruby whose passion resonates in this story of discovery and acceptance.
—Publishers Weekly

"Luckett is a writer to watch and admire."
—ZZ PACKER, author of Drinking Coffee Elsewhere

"Lush, evocative and seductive. Only read Passing Love if you're willing to give yourself over completely to the excitement of the jazz scene of post-WWII Paris, and a woman's determination to find her place in the present-day City of Light."
—Lalita Tademy, author of Cane River and Red River

“C'est magnifique! A delicious read, brimming with hope, love, and light.”
—Tayari Jones, author of Silver Sparrow

“Passing Love is everything a novel should be: a story as complex, multilayered and rich as a French pastry and just as deceptively simple...until you take a bite. Settle back, get comfy and enjoy the journey Nicole, Malvina and Ruby (and their men) take you on through Post-WWII and contemporary Paris.”
—Virginia DeBerry & Donna Grant, authors of Uptown and Tryin' to Sleep in the Bed You Made  

“Luckett has written our Paris dreams come true--between two lives and two generations, this story delivers the romance and the heartbreak of all that the City of Lights has to offer.  You will escape with this novel and question or embrace your own unlived lives.”
—Heidi W. Durrow, author of The Girl Who Fell From the Sky