Books like The gilded years by Karin Tanabe

Anita Hemmings, an African‑American woman with an olive complexion, has long chased her dream of attending Vassar College, the nation’s most prestigious women's school. In her final year, 1897, she keeps a dangerous secret: she has successfully passed for white, allowing her to enroll despite the college’s racial exclusions. While initially keeping to herself, Anita’s world expands when she roommates with Louise “Lottie” Taylor, the heiress of one of New York’s most prominent families. Lottie’s energetic presence draws Anita into the elite social circle, and the two form a close friendship. As Anita navigates campus life, she experiences the privileges of being perceived as a wealthy, educated white woman and even falls in love with a Harvard‑educated man. The stakes rise when Lottie becomes infatuated with Anita’s brother, Frederick—whose skin is nearly as light as his sister’s—threatening to expose Anita’s true heritage. With graduation near, those closest to her become the greatest danger, and Anita must decide how far she will risk everything for a chance at a better life.

First publish date: 2016