Description

"McKinney-Whetstone uses her gift for language to weave a love story that spans more than twenty years and three lives. . . . Blues Dancing is a novel well worth curling up with a long winter’s night." —Essence

From acclaimed writer Diane McKinney-Whetstone, a richly spun tale of love and passion, betrayal, redemption, and faith, set in contemporary Philadelphia.

My aunt says if you smell butter on a foggy night you're getting ready to fall in love.

For the last twenty years, the beautiful Verdi Mae has led a comfortable life with Rowe, the conservative professor who rescued her from addiction when she was an undergrad. But her world is about to shift when the smell of butter lingers in the air and Johnson—the boy from the back streets of Philadelphia who pulled her into the fire of passion and all the shadows cast from it—returns to town.

In "this story of self-discovery that moves seamlessly between the early 1970s and early 1990s" (Publishers Weekly, starred review), McKinney-Whetstone takes readers into a world of erotic love, drugs, and political activism, and beautifully illustrates the struggle to reconcile passion with accountability and the redemptive powers of love's rediscovery.

This P.S. edition features an extra 16 pages of insights into the book, including author interviews, recommended reading, and more.

About the Author

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.

Praise For…

“McKinney-Whetstone gives a rhapsodic performance in this story of self-discovery that moves seamlessly between the early 1970’s and early ‘90’s. . . . Pitch-perfect dialogue and a keen eye capture the spirit and cadences of the early 70’s. . . . Readers (become) passionately involved in the fates of these winning characters.” — Publisher's Weekly, *starred review*

"McKinney-Whetstone uses her gift for language to weave a love story that spans more than twenty years and three lives... Blues Dancing is a novel well worth curling up with a long winter’s night." — Essence

“She ought to be classified among the best of all contemporary fiction writers, period.” — Detroit Free Press

"Diane McKinney-Whetstone has a gift for secrets—personal secrets, family secrets, childhood secrets. She excels at the art of imitation, allowing tensions to build to a breaking point before clearing the air with a dramatic revelation. Blues Dancing is no exception, with multiple secrets and drama to spare." — The Philadelphia Inquirer

"McKinney-Whetstone’s strength apparent in all her work, including Blues Dancing, is plot development. Her novels have a page-turning quality." — Philadelphia Weekly

"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." — Bet Weekend

"Johnson steals this stirring novel." — Baltimore Sun

"Novelist Diane McKinney-Whetstone makes readers settle in and get comfortable. Closing her latest book Blues Dancing is reminiscent of moving from a beloved neighborhood and leaving behind friends who are like family." — Emerge