Tumbling

In her deeply textured debut novel, Diane McKinney-Whetstone evokes the feel and rhythm of a close-knit African-American community. Set in South Philadelphia during the 1940s and 1950s, Tumbling combines the mood of an urban community with the vitality of its inhabitants to tell a story in which sorrow and joy come in equal measure. One unconventional couple is at the heart of the novel; Herbie and Noon care deeply for each other but have been unable to consummate their marriage because of a vicious sexual attack in Noon's past. So, while Noon finds comfort and solace in her church,…