About the Book
From the author of Blues Dancing and Tumbling--a writer who "ought to be classified among the best of all contemporary fiction writers period" (Detroit Free Press)--comes a riveting novel about the desire for redemption and rebirth
Moving across moments in time, Trading Dreams tells the story of a woman and the grandmother she is deeply connected by love and terrible pain.
For years, 33-year-old Neena has waged a relentless search for Freeda, the mother who abandoned her 20 years ago. Neena supports herself by blackmailing married men, but when a stong goes wrong, she finds herself on the run, back to her younger sister, Tish, in Philadelphia. But returning brings terrible grief--and unexpected hope as Neena learns to face the past, her grandmother, and herself.
A settled church lady and gifted seamstress, Nan is devoted to her granddaughter, Tish, who is soon to become a mother herself. A vibrant, passionate woman, Nan worries that in some way she caused her daughter Freeda's instability. Neena's returning holds unexpected consequences for Nan, too, and eventually she must confront her denial and fears--about the past and the future.
In a style that has been characterized as "accessible Toni Morrison," and "literary Terry McMillan," Diane McKinney-Whetstone has crafted another powerful story of love, loss, community, and healing that captures what it means to be human.
About the Author :
Diane McKinney-Whetstone is the author of the critically acclaimed novels Our Gen, Tumbling, Lazaretto, Tempest Rising, Blues Dancing, Leaving Cecil Street, Trading Dreams at Midnight, and Family Spirit. She is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Black Caucus of the American Library Association's Literary Award for Fiction, which she won twice. A past lecturer a the University of Pennsylvania, her work has appeared in The Atlantic, Essence, Philadelphia magazine, and the Philadelphia Inquirer. She lives in Philadelphia with her husband, Greg.
Review :
"Diane McKinney-Whetstone finds a way to connect with her characters--and makes us do the same. . . . The story takes several surprising twists. . . . In McKinney-Whetstone's orbit, characters evolve in painful and poignant ways." -- Essence (Book Club Pick)
"A compelling story. . . . In evocative prose, she re-creates the world of 1940s and 1950s Philadelphia with passionate emotion in a moving novel of love, loss, redemption, and healing." -- Ebony
"Recalls community unity. . . . Vividly drawn characters set in her hometown of Philadelphia. . . . Recreates the world of 1940s and '50s Philadelphia. . . . McKinney-Whetstone's stories provide a compelling flashback to a not-so-long-ago past." -- Philadelphia Tribune
"Offers up both wrenching and sweet truths that feel familiar to any reader, in a series of uncloying, unpredictable plotlines. The result is a book that feels honest, filled with people you want to keep reading about." -- Philadelphia Magazine
"McKinney-Whetstone weaves an intricate tapestry of love, pain and memory. . . . Philly is as much a character as the women. . . . Neena's dire straits are nicely handled and provide a pretty sharp hook." -- Publishers Weekly
"Once again McKinney-Whetstone writes with empathy, compassion, and discernment. . . . Raw pain is described with devastating accuracy. . . . A beautifully written and poignant work about the power and limitations of family love." -- BookPage
"A smart, careful writer . . . with abundant style and irresistible charm." -- Washington Post Book World
"McKinney-Whestone is masterful as rendering the spaces between people, giving to the air that separates them a taste, a texture, a soul." -- Philadelphia Inquirer
"Captivating." -- Detroit Free Press
"Publishers are missing the readers who fueled the early '90s African-American literary boom that propelled novels by Terry McMillan, Alice Walker and Toni Morrison onto the bestseller lists and ushered in new, exciting authors like Diane McKinney-Whetstone." -- Publishers Weekly
"Talented African American author McKinney-Whetstone returns . . . with another poignant, multigenerational story set in west Philadelphia. . . . An achingly tender portrait of familial love and pain." -- Booklist
"[A] poignant, multigenerational story. . . . An achingly tender portrait of familial love and pain." -- Booklist
"Diane McKinney-Whetstone brings us a hauntingly beautiful story of mothers and daughters, love and pain. . . . A hard-hitting, bittersweet novel about a family of black women who stand tough as times get tougher. . . The author writes novels that never need a sequel. They are so complete you know that all is well with the characters that you have come to love. This latest offering is no different. Her loyal readers will not be disappointed. Diane McKinney-Whetstone pens yet another African American literary classic." -- African American Literature Book Club
"Delving into the Philadelphia she claimed in her first two novels (Tumbling; Tempest Rising), McKinney-Whetstone gives a rhapsodic performance in this story of self-discovery that moves seamlessly between the early 1970's and early '90's...Pitch-perfect." -- Publisher's Weekly, *starred review*
"She ought to be classified among the best of all contemporary fiction writers, period." -- Detroit Free Press
"Heartfelt fourth from McKinney-Whetstone, who has a true talent for strong characters, effortlessly natural dialogue, and prose that flows." -- Kirkus Reviews
"Wistful, melodious, contemplative, McKinney-Whetstone's prose feels inspired by the tenor sax central to this story...McKinney-Whetstone's fourth novel is remarkable for the rich development of all its characters" -- Publishers Weekly
"McKinney-Whetstone's gifts as a writer continue to fascinate." -- San Francisco Chronicle
"Even the air is palpable in Tumbling...The story moves forth on the power of Ms. Mckinney-Whetstone's characters. Ms. McKinney-Whetstone captures the formidable struggle to protest both a community and a family." -- The New York Times Book Review
