The House Behind the Cedars
- Reading level
- Plain English
- Price
- Free
About the book
"The House Behind the Cedars" by Charles W. Chesnutt is a novel published in 1900. Set in the post-Civil War South, it follows Rena Walden, a young woman of mixed ancestry who leaves home to live as white alongside her brother. When she falls in love with a white aristocrat, the secret of her heritage threatens to destroy everything. The novel explores interracial relations and the complexities of racial identity in America's Reconstruction era.
- Didactic fiction
- Psychological fiction
- Domestic fiction
- African Americans
- Southern States
- Passing (Identity)
Updated September 2026. Public domain in the USA. Text and summary from Project Gutenberg eBook #472. The House Behind the Cedars on Wikipedia.
