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    Trading Dreams at Midnight: A Novel
    Unavailable
    Trading Dreams at Midnight: A Novel
    Unavailable
    Trading Dreams at Midnight: A Novel
    Ebook368 pages8 hours

    Trading Dreams at Midnight: A Novel

    By Diane McKinney-Whetstone

    3.5/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this ebook

    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.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperCollins
    Release dateOct 13, 2009
    ISBN9780061856570
    Unavailable
    Trading Dreams at Midnight: A Novel
    Author

    Diane McKinney-Whetstone

    The author of the critically acclaimed novels Tumbling, Tempest Rising, Blues Dancing, Leaving Cecil Street, and Trading Dreams at Midnight, Diane McKinney-Whetstone is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Black Caucus of the American Library Association’s Literary Award for Fiction, which she won twice. She lives in Philadelphia with her husband. For more on Diane McKinney-Whetstone please visit www.mckinney-whetstone.com or follow her on Twitter @Dianemckwh.

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    Reviews for Trading Dreams at Midnight

    3.5/5

    23 ratings2 reviews

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    • 4/5
      Freeda, plagued by mental illness, abandons her daughters Tish, 12, and Neena, 16, when she just walks out of the house and doesn't come back. She's done it before, and the girls always stayed with their grandmother, Nan, but this time she doesn't come back. Trish never bonded with her mother and feels closer to her grandmother, so she wants their mother to stay away. Neena, however, has been the one to keep their mother stable when her bipolar symptoms show up. Neena wants Freeda back, and she wants to get away from the strict rules and expectations of Nan.At 19, Neena leaves home to look for Freeda, traveling from city to city, wherever the clues lead her. She finances her way by hooking up with married men who pay her way. Now in her 30s, she's broke and running from a man who won't be blackmailed, so she goes home to Phillie. But she only wants Tish to take her in for a while; she doesn't want to see Nan. But Tish is in the hospital with a difficult pregnancy, and Nan has left strict orders with Tish's husband not to let Neena see or talk to Tish in case the shock of her sister's appearance makes her lose the baby.When Nan finds out Neena is in town, it sparks memories of her relationship with her now hospitalized alcoholic husband and her mentally ill daughter. She reminisces over her mistakes in both relationships and those she made with Neena.The book is well-written and does a good job of showing people in denial about addiction and mental illness, but it doesn't show much about the illnesses themselves. McKinney-Whetstone explores the subjects on a surface level.The ending leaves the reader hanging. There's no real conclusion. The set-up for one is there, but it doesn't come together.
    • 3/5
      Trading Dreams at Midnight is the tale of three women and how mental illness has impacted their lives. Each woman has a different perspective and has been shaped differently by the same circumstances. Nan, the grandmother, has stepped in to raise her grandchildren when her mentally ill daughter abandoned them. Nan has her own cross to bear as she has a few skeletons hanging in her closet, pertaining to her husband and her daughter. She has a hard time accepting and then dealing with her daughter’s mental illness. The least developed character of the three is Tish. She seems to be little more than a secondary character. Tish’s issues are mentioned, but are not discussed in much detail. Most of the information we learn about Tish is through other characters’ conversations and/or thoughts. Neena, sister of Tish and granddaughter of Nan is the most disturbed by their mother’s disappearances and has dedicated her life to finding her mother. She finances her search by any means necessary. Some of the things she has done have been questionable. One of the ghosts come back to haunt her and sends her back to Philadelphia, to face a disagreeable grandmother and a fragile sister. McKinney-Whetstone is a master of description, and setting. She makes you feel as if you are walking around the streets of Philadelphia. Her word choice is always clever and thought provoking. Overall, the book was well written. However, the secondary characters lack depth. Also, while there was new information revealed at the end, there was no true conclusion. The book leaves you feeling like you need more information. Unless this is a marketing tool for a sequel, the book really needed more of a sense of finality.