Passing Strange

In Passing Strange, historian Martha A. Sandweiss delves into the life of 19th-century figure Clarence King, a celebrated explorer and scientist who led a secret double life as James Todd, a Black Pullman porter and steelworker. Despite being hailed as one of his generation's brightest minds, King concealed his true identity from society, sharing it only with his common-law wife, Ada, at the end of his life. This compelling narrative explores themes of race, deception, and the complexities of family, tracing the legacy of King and Ada's biracial children against the backdrop of American history from the Civil War to the civil rights era.