{"product_id":"tumbling-a-novel-isbn-9780061792120","title":"Tumbling: A Novel","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e“Warm and intimate. . . . An accomplished novel, with sharply drawn characters, exuberant prose, plenty of period detail and a wise, forgiving outlook on family life.” — \u003cem\u003eLos Angeles Times Book Review\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eTumbling\u003c\/em\u003e is the beloved bestselling debut novel that launched the luminous career of Diane McKinney Whetstone, critically acclaimed author of \u003cem\u003eTempest Rising, Blues Dancing, Leaving Cecil Street\u003c\/em\u003e, and \u003cem\u003eTrading Dreams at Midnight\u003c\/em\u003e. Writing in a style as accessible as Terry McMillan, yet with the literary touches of Toni Morrison, McKinney Whetstone’s \u003cem\u003eTumbling\u003c\/em\u003e is a poignant, exquisitely rendered story of the ties that bind us and the secrets that keep us apart.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eNoon and Herbie are deeply in love and living in a tightly knit African American neighborhood in South Philadelphia during the 1940s. But their marriage remains unconsummated because of a horrible incident in Noon's past, so each seeks comfort elsewhere: Noon in the warm acceptance of the neighborhood church; Herbie in the arms of Ethel, a jazz singer. Then one day an infant girl is left on their doorstep, and later Ethel blesses them with her five-year-old niece. Suddenly and unexpectedly a family, Herbie, Noon, and their two girls draw closer—until an outside threat reawakens a fire in Noon, causing her to rise up and fight to hold her family and her community together.\u003c\/p\u003e | \u003cp\u003eNoon and Herbie are deeply in love and living in a tightly knit African American neighborhood in South Philadelphia during the 1940s. But their marriage remains unconsummated because of a horrible incident in Noon's past, so each seeks comfort elsewhere: Noon in the warm acceptance of the neighborhood church; Herbie in the arms of Ethel, a jazz singer. Then one day an infant girl is left on their doorstep, and later Ethel blesses them with her five-year-old niece. Suddenly and unexpectedly a family, Herbie, Noon, and their two girls draw closer—until an outside threat reawakens a fire in Noon, causing her to rise up and fight to hold her family and her community together.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDiane McKinney-Whetstone's \u003cem\u003eTumbling\u003c\/em\u003e is a poignant, exquisitely rendered story of the ties that bind us and the secrets that keep us apart.\u003c\/p\u003e | \u003cp\u003e“A densely textured narrative that proves as rich and filling as a well-cooked meal. McKinney-Whetstone’s remarkably skillful first effort should place her at the forefront of a generation of emerging African-American women novelists. McKinney-Whetstone is clearly a smart, careful writer who’s created a page-turner of a novel with abundant style and irresistible charm.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eWashington Post Book World\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“An accomplished novel, with sharply drawn characters, exuberant prose, plenty of period detail and a wise, forgiving outlook on family life.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eLos Angeles Times Book Review\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“[A] remarkable first novel. . . . The story probes beneath its residents’ lives to tell a powerful tale of damage and healing.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly (starred review)\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“[A] beautifully written tale [and] a lyrical read.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eUSA Today\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“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.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“McKinney-Whetstone . . . has a true talent for strong characters, effortlessly natural dialogue, and prose that flows.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“In an era when most writers bank on hype and hook to grab a reader’s attention, McKinney-Whetstone has amassed an enthusiastic cadre of readers by writing engaging characters supported by enchanting language.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eBET Weekend\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Harper Perennial","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44887917625573,"sku":"NP9780061792120","price":17.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9780061792120.jpg?v=1730227732","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/products\/tumbling-a-novel-isbn-9780061792120","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}