Publishers Weekly
01/04/2016
Setting her book once again in her native city of Philadelphia, Pa., McKinney-Whetstone opens her sixth novel on the eve of Abraham Lincoln's assassination. Meda, a beautiful young black woman, delivers the secret child of her employer, lawyer Tom Benin (who is white), at a medical office for clandestine services. After the baby is taken from her at birth, Sylvie, an apprentice to the midwife, lies and tells Meda her infant girl has died. Bereft and ungrounded, Meda seeks consolation by serving as a wet nurse to a pair of white newborn boys at a nearby orphanage, naming them Bram and Linc after the slain president she admired. Through a deal with Benin, Bram and Linc are able to stay with Meda on weekends and holidays. After cruelty and abuse from their employer forces the boys from Philadelphia, Meda and her family continue to treat them as their own. In the meantime, Sylvia has become a formidable and capable nurse at the city's island quarantine hospital, Lazaretto. When the boys return to the city in desperate circumstances, old paths eventually converge at the hospital. McKinney-Whetstone explores racial passing, class prejudice, the nature of family, and the longings of forbidden love, but the disjointed narratives often feel like two separate novels uncomfortably forced together. The emotional content is never allowed to rise above predictable contrivances of plot and unremarkable characterizations. (Apr.)
From the Publisher
A perfect book for the end of the Obama era.... Incredibly daring…. McKinney-Whetstone’s trademark poetic prose is still as sharp as it has always been…without sacrificing plot and pacing…. I couldn’t be happier that McKinney-Whetstone has returned to show us all how it’s done.” — Washington Post
“As in any Diane McKinney–Whetstone novel, there is love in all of its many facets and dimensions. The author shows that good writing is like a fine bottle of wine–it just gets better with time.” — Essence
“When it comes to creating living and breathing characters, no one can touch Diane McKinney-Whetstone. Her new novel Lazaretto is no exception…. I suggest reading Lazaretto at the dinner table, because it will leave you full as your favorite meal.” — BuzzFeed Books
“Vibrant…. Completely engaging…. A unique blend of poetic language and graphic depictions of the injustices suffered by African Americans in the post-Civil War period.” — Booklist (starred review)
“Language sings throughout the whole of McKinney-Whetstone’s writing—from the lilt of her characters’ colloquial speech to her poetic, visceral descriptions…. A sophisticated and compelling novel that comes alive through a rich cavalcade of vibrant characters and a suspenseful plot.” — Kirkus Reviews
“Whetstone’s novel explores a fictional crisis that begins in the neighborhood surrounding Philly’s Lazaretto Hospital after the Civil War.” — New York Post
“McKinney-Whetstone’s trademark poetic prose is still as sharp as it has always been…without sacrificing plot and pacing.… I couldn’t be happier that McKinney-Whetstone has returned to show us all how it’s done.” — Washington Post
“Juggling a wide cast of characters, this book dives into family struggles, romance, Lincoln’s assassination, and the racial tensions simmering in post-Civil War Philadelphia. Perfect for fans of history and complicated, rich, character-driven stories.” — BookTrib.com
“Once again, McKinney-Whetstone has managed to bring to life a wide range of characters whose triumphs and tribulations would never show up in a history book.” — BookPage
“In this masterful work of historical fiction, Diane McKinney-Whetstone seamlessly transports us to Philadelphia in the aftermath of the Civil War and Lincoln’s assassination, beautifully evoking powerful stories of love, friendship and humanity amid the vibrant black community that flourished amid the troubled times.” — Largehearted Boy
“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 protect both a community and a family.” — New York Times Book Review
“TUMBLING is 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 Review
“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 (starred review)
“[A] poignant, multigenerational story. . . . An achingly tender portrait of familial love and pain.” — Booklist
“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
“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] creates a unique, believable black middle-class world where there are no villains—just individuals trying their very best to get through life while inflicting minimum pain on each other, or themselves…. These people are flawed, human, engaging in the best sense.” — Washington Post
“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 protect both a community and a family.” — The New York Times Book Review
“[A] beautifully written tale [and] a lyrical read.” — USA Today
“[A] remarkable first novel. . . . The story probes beneath its residents’ lives to tell a powerful tale of damage and healing.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“A bouncy, moody, musical debut by an author who, like a good blues singer, is strong on style and interpretation. . . . A gifted prose writer with a tremendous sense of place.” — Kirkus Reviews
Washington Post
A perfect book for the end of the Obama era.... Incredibly daring…. McKinney-Whetstone’s trademark poetic prose is still as sharp as it has always been…without sacrificing plot and pacing…. I couldn’t be happier that McKinney-Whetstone has returned to show us all how it’s done.
Booklist (starred review)
Vibrant…. Completely engaging…. A unique blend of poetic language and graphic depictions of the injustices suffered by African Americans in the post-Civil War period.
BuzzFeed Books
When it comes to creating living and breathing characters, no one can touch Diane McKinney-Whetstone. Her new novel Lazaretto is no exception…. I suggest reading Lazaretto at the dinner table, because it will leave you full as your favorite meal.
Essence
As in any Diane McKinney–Whetstone novel, there is love in all of its many facets and dimensions. The author shows that good writing is like a fine bottle of wine–it just gets better with time.
BookPage
Once again, McKinney-Whetstone has managed to bring to life a wide range of characters whose triumphs and tribulations would never show up in a history book.
BookTrib.com
Juggling a wide cast of characters, this book dives into family struggles, romance, Lincoln’s assassination, and the racial tensions simmering in post-Civil War Philadelphia. Perfect for fans of history and complicated, rich, character-driven stories.
Largehearted Boy
In this masterful work of historical fiction, Diane McKinney-Whetstone seamlessly transports us to Philadelphia in the aftermath of the Civil War and Lincoln’s assassination, beautifully evoking powerful stories of love, friendship and humanity amid the vibrant black community that flourished amid the troubled times.
New York Post
Whetstone’s novel explores a fictional crisis that begins in the neighborhood surrounding Philly’s Lazaretto Hospital after the Civil War.
Philadelphia Magazine
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.
New York Times Book Review
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 protect both a community and a family.
USA Today
[A] beautifully written tale [and] a lyrical read.
The New York Times Book Review
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 protect both a community and a family.
Ebony
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.
Los Angeles Times Book Review
TUMBLING is an accomplished novel, with sharply drawn characters, exuberant prose, plenty of period detail and a wise, forgiving outlook on family life.
Booklist
[A] poignant, multigenerational story. . . . An achingly tender portrait of familial love and pain.
Booklist
[A] poignant, multigenerational story. . . . An achingly tender portrait of familial love and pain.
Washington Post
McKinney-Whetstone’s trademark poetic prose is still as sharp as it has always been…without sacrificing plot and pacing.… I couldn’t be happier that McKinney-Whetstone has returned to show us all how it’s done.
USA Today
[A] beautifully written tale [and] a lyrical read.
Essence
As in any Diane McKinney–Whetstone novel, there is love in all of its many facets and dimensions. The author shows that good writing is like a fine bottle of wine–it just gets better with time.
New York Post
Whetstone’s novel explores a fictional crisis that begins in the neighborhood surrounding Philly’s Lazaretto Hospital after the Civil War.
Los Angeles Times Book Review
TUMBLING is an accomplished novel, with sharply drawn characters, exuberant prose, plenty of period detail and a wise, forgiving outlook on family life.
Library Journal
05/15/2016
On the night of Abraham Lincoln's assassination, nurse Sylvia delivers a baby in Philadelphia. The newborn is the child of Meda, a black woman, and her white employer. Though born alive, the baby is pronounced dead by the father. The haunting events of the birth intertwine the lives and communities of Sylvia and Meda. VERDICT Readers of Lalita Tademy will embrace the vibrant characters in McKinney-Whetstone's unforgettable novel. (LJ 2/15/16)
JULY 2016 - AudioFile
The story of Sylvia, first a midwife, then a nurse, opens with the birth of Meda’s baby in 1865 Philadelphia and continues through her life at Lazaretto, the quarantine island for new immigrants. Adenrele Ojo narrates with precision. Each word, every sentence is enunciated with care, drawing out the story to echo in listeners’ ears. As head nurse for Lazaretto’s black community, Sylvia becomes entangled in the lives of Meda’s adopted sons and past lovers. Ojo delivers the scenes with exquisite tones that include dialogue in dialect. This slow-moving story is filled with music and relationships that weave in and out of the black and white, poor and rich communities of post-Civil War Philadelphia. M.B.K. © AudioFile 2016, Portland, Maine
Kirkus Reviews
2016-02-11
McKinney-Whetstone's sixth novel (Trading Dreams at Midnight, 2008, etc.) explores a fateful shooting that rocks the close-knit African-American community surrounding the Lazaretto Hospital in post-Civil War Philadelphia. On the night of Lincoln's assassination, a black maid named Meda is rushed to the office of local midwife Dr. Miss by Tom Benin, her white boss and father of her child. It's the first birth that Sylvia, the assisting nurse-in-training, has attended. So when Benin tells Dr. Miss that he'll be taking the baby and Meda must be told the baby has died, Sylvia is understandably shaken. The question of who can retain control over his or her own body becomes central to the narrative. As one of the few doctors serving blacks in 1865, Dr. Miss was able to provide much-needed health care for the community as well as training for aspiring black nurses like Sylvia; however, the hierarchy of racial power dynamics still permeated every aspect of their work. In haunting, vivid language, Meda's breasts overflow with milk as she mourns the newborn she was never able to hold in her arms. Language sings throughout the whole of McKinney-Whetstone's writing—from the lilt of her characters' colloquial speech to her poetic, visceral descriptions. Meda's and Sylvia's lives continue to intertwine through their roles as surrogate mothers—Meda to Lincoln and Abraham, two orphaned boys Benin sends her to look after; Sylvia to her cousin Vergie. But after Lincoln and Abraham are assaulted by a powerful man and forced to flee Philadelphia, all these lives intersect when a quarantine shuts down Lazaretto Hospital and decades-old secrets finally come to light. A sophisticated and compelling novel that comes alive through a rich cavalcade of vibrant characters and a suspenseful plot.
