Sunday morning in South Philly, according to McKinney-Whetstone, is "like buttermilk," with "a quiet smoothness to it." The same can be said of this remarkable first novel. A gentle portrait of an African American community in South Philadelphia in the 1940s and '50s, the story probes beneath its residents' lives to tell a powerful tale of damage and healing. Noon is a Florida preacher's daughter too scarred from a secret childhood incident to let a man touch her; her husband, Herbie, is a redcap who met her when he was a hepcat jazz drummer touring with fiery singer Ethel. When newborn Fannie and, five years later, Ethel's five-year-old orphan niece, Liz, are abandoned on Noon and Herbie's doorstep, the embrace of community allows the creation of a family. Many women struggle in private against pain-especially Liz, who hides in the closet and eats plaster to deal with what she knows about Herbie and Ethel. Fannie's prescient visions and her wish to stave off the inevitable underscore an ambivalent view of the power of change. As the threat looms of a highway to be built through the church-centered neighborhood, individual characters find their fates, and the delicately passionate narrative coalesces around a soul-galvanizing metaphor of bricks and mortar and spirit. Literary Guild and Doubleday Book Club selection. Author tour. (May)
Tumbling is a national best-seller from an exhilarating new voice in African-American fiction. Set in Philadelphia in the 1940s and 50s, this emotionally inspiring story revolves around Noon and Herbie, a couple with more than a few obstacles to overcome. They raise two girls left on their doorstep, struggle to keep their unconsummated marriage alive, and fight to save their urban neighborhood from development. Both Noon and Herbie have secrets. Because of this she can't be intimate with her husband, and he sneaks out to a hot jazz singer named Ethel--who has a secret of her own. When the city proposes to build a road through their neighborhood, Noon begins a crusade to keep it from happening--and maybe save her marriage in the process. Tumble into this amazing novel and feel the love and warmth of a special block in South Philly. This is an extraordinary depiction of the true meaning of family and fellowship, with a realistic mix of both joy and sorrow.
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Tumbling
Tumbling is a national best-seller from an exhilarating new voice in African-American fiction. Set in Philadelphia in the 1940s and 50s, this emotionally inspiring story revolves around Noon and Herbie, a couple with more than a few obstacles to overcome. They raise two girls left on their doorstep, struggle to keep their unconsummated marriage alive, and fight to save their urban neighborhood from development. Both Noon and Herbie have secrets. Because of this she can't be intimate with her husband, and he sneaks out to a hot jazz singer named Ethel--who has a secret of her own. When the city proposes to build a road through their neighborhood, Noon begins a crusade to keep it from happening--and maybe save her marriage in the process. Tumble into this amazing novel and feel the love and warmth of a special block in South Philly. This is an extraordinary depiction of the true meaning of family and fellowship, with a realistic mix of both joy and sorrow.
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Product Details
BN ID: | 2940169506044 |
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Publisher: | Recorded Books, LLC |
Publication date: | 09/21/2012 |
Edition description: | Unabridged |
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