The House Behind the Cedars (book)

The House Behind the Cedars

First edition cover, 1900
Author	Charles W. Chesnutt
Publisher	Houghton, Mifflin and Company
Publication date	1900
Preceded by	The Conjure Woman

The House Behind the Cedars is the first published novel by American author Charles W. Chesnutt. It was published in 1900 by Houghton, Mifflin and Company. The story occurs in the southern American states of North and South Carolina a few years following the American Civil War. Rena Walden, a young woman of mixed white and black ancestry, leaves home to join her brother, who has migrated to a new city, where he lives as a white man. Following her brother's lead, Rena begins living as a white woman. The secret of her identity leads to conflict when she falls in love with a white aristocrat who learns the truth of her heredity. The ensuing drama emphasizes themes of interracial relations and depicted the intricacies of racial identity in the American south.

According to Hollis Robbins, the two major influences on The House Behind the Cedars are Chesnutt's life and Walter Scott's novel Ivanhoe.^[1] Well read in nineteenth century British literature and being of predominantly European ancestry, Chesnutt was light skinned enough to pass as a white man, although he openly identified with his African-American roots.^[2] Additionally, his portrayal of interracial romantic relations in The House Behind the Cedars was controversial. Although the novel was critically well received, its controversy contributed to poor financial performance.^[3]