The orphan of a Danish mother and a West Indian father, Helga Crane is a young woman caught between cultures and in search of a home.Though her beauty and education open many doors, as a biracial woman in 1920s America, Helga is accepted by neither the Black nor the white communities insteadremainingan object of curiosityand an outsider wherever she goes. Her furious quest for belongingwill take her from Chicagoto New Yorkto Denmark: a journey rife with autobiographical parallels to Larsen's own life.

With itsastonishingly contemporary take on identity and an angry, rebellious heroine,Quicksandis a classic novel ripe for rediscovery.