Tumbling

by Diane McKinney-Whetstone

Book Overview

"Warm and intimate. . . . An accomplished novel, with sharply drawn characters, exuberant prose, plenty of period detail and a wise, forgiving outlook on family life." -- Los Angeles Times Book... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 068814487X
• ISBN13: 9780688144876
• Release Date: April 1996
• Publisher: William Morrow
• Length: 340 Pages
• Weight: 1.19 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.5" x 1.3" x 6.5"

Customer Reviews

I found a Gem

I must say, it has been years since any book has touched me like this one. Philadelphia has been known for bringing such talented and amazing writers like the late August Wilson but Ms. Mc-Kinney /Whetstone is at the top of best writers. I love her style--- she takes her time with the novel, allowing you to know the characters and breath life into each one. Her amazing talent is story telling because she is able to involve you into this story and allow you to enter as a family member who will be moved and helped as she paints such a compelling story. She teases you by giving just enough to make you want more until at the end, you are in tears because everybody has found their purpose. Her talent to weave such a beautiful story that is rare and unusual and make you wait until the end when everything unravel is astounding. All the characters have their flaws but isn't this just humanity? For any of the characters that you might not like, she allows you to understand each one and find compassion in making you accept them. I must admit that Liz addiction to plaster was waaay over the top and I found such compassion rooting for Noon who needed the miracle that she received. I do find a few left dangling pieces that I would like to have solved: 1. Explaining how and how much damage was done to Fannie by Liz. 2. Whatever happened to Willie Mann? 3. Not enough was explained about Ethel's dysfunctional family. Ethel was so dysfunctional but turned out to be the glue to the story. My heart bleeds for some compassion and help that I hope she will receive in life to allow her to function. Again, Ms .Mc-Kinney Whetstone, this is a masterpiece of art and cannot compare to your other work. You have made me a fan and I look forward any and the rest of your work that you will share with us all. Thank you again for finally bringing a great novel that touches the heart.

changes the face of two

Wow!!!!!! First I'll speak on the book then I'll speak about the author. The book is absolutel OFF THE HOOK! Talking about inquiring minds. This book made me think so much and imagine so much until it was unbeleivable. At first I had to keep going back reading certain passages over and over again trying to be sure of what I previously read. I felt like I was right there with them. I was wound up in each and every character I could barely put the book down.. My favorite character would have to be Fannie. Her commitment to family. Her dedication to Herbie and Noon. How she got so attached to Herbie the first time they laid eyes on each other made me figure right from the beginning she was his. It was something about those eyes. I just couldn't figure who from seeming as though the only two women in his life (that he slept with) were Ethel and Noon. Yea, yea, yea, I know he didn't intimately sleep with noon, but physically he did. For warmth. I couldn't figure that part out. How she got so damaged. Then when I read it I still didn't understand why it took her so long to get healed. I know she was hurt, but my goodness. And to think she was always in church so you would have thought it didn't take all that for restoration. I liked her spirit though, the way she always thought about everybody else. She kept busy in the church. THAT WAS NOON'S CHURCH. She cooked for others weddings, funerals, she served, she sewed. She took care of everybody else but Herbie. Though Herbie wasn't perfect and he had his shortcoming, he was a hard working man who truly loved his wife. I guess I can understand his situation. I don't condone it. I don't want to sound like a heathen, but I guess I understand why he decided to handle it and stick it the way he did. And then the baby didn't make matters any better. To me it just brought more of a commitment to be in a family way. It makes me wonder how many men today would stay married in a situation like that. It most definitely wasn't common or natural for a such an unusual situation to go on in a marriage as long at it did. This book is so awesome. Not the mention the mind of the author. My friends and I discuss the intellect of the author. I thought it was so untouchable of the imagination to put the character Liz to have such a mental disturbance of "EATING THE WALL." This is beyond me. I have a wild imagination and wonder just interesting she really is. I am truly facinated. This is one book I'll never forget. I love it. This is truly art. Over the past 3 month' I've probably read about 45 to 50 books and out of all the books I read this one probably stands in mind in the top 3. It's is most exciting, easy to read. I highly recommend it. I'm telling I can't say enough about the authors intellect.

"Excuse Me Can I Have More Stars?"

Tumbling will tumble you through the lives of black folk and their community. This book is filled with a sense of purpose, love, commitment, loyalty, pain, family, acceptance, lies, betrayal, loneliness, and LAUGHTER! THIS ONE IS A MUST. The characters were truly VIVID! - and the story was EXCELLENT. Ms. Whetstone has a manficient talent not to mention excellent storytelling abilities. Although the book wasn't contemporary like most books are these days...the CHANGE WAS WONDERFUL! I agree with another reviewer that Tumbling is literature at it's best. You will truly be caught up in the tumblings of Lombard Street.Noon, Herbie, Fannie, Liz and oooooohhhh Ms. "Thang" Ethel will keep your entertained and wondering what's going to happen next!Once you finish you'll be wishing you lived with all of these characters. Noon is a fine example of black women of the past. We could all learn some lessons.GET THIS ONE! Ms. Whetstone...gurl you are soooo bad! LOL

TUMBLING IS WORTH READING

Tumbling was a little hard to get into I will admit. But by the end of the third chapter I couldn't put it down. There was a down to earthness about the characters and a realness to the prose that I haven't seen in a while. I am tired of African-American contemporary writers who write about frivolous relationships and broken families. Tumbling is literature, I was not only introduced to memorable characters but a united community where the spiritual was almost more powerful than the natural. If you're tired of reading about ghettos and dysfunction in the black community pick up Tumbling. You'll be glad you did.