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Tempest Rising
Class, race, and sexuality converge in this page-turning story of desire, jealousy, and survival. Set in west Philadelphia in the early sixties, Tempest Rising tells the story of three sisters, Bliss, Victoria, and Shern, budding adolescents raised in a world of financial privilege among the upper-black-class. But their lives quickly unravel as their father's lucrative catering business collapses. When their father disappears suddenly, he is presumed dead, sending their mother spiraling into an apparent breakdown. The girls are wrenched from their mother and dumped into foster care in a working-class neighborhood in the home of Mae, a politically connected card shark. Though Mae lavishes affection onto her foster children, she is abusive to her own child, Ramona, a twenty-something stunning beauty. As Ramona struggles with Mae's abuse and her own hatred for the foster children, she also tries to keep at bay a powerful attraction she has for her boyfriend's father. In Tempest Rising , McKinney-Whetstone richly evokes the early 1960s in west Philadelphia in this story of loss and healing, redemption, and love.
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First published January 21, 1998
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 68 reviews
November 14, 2012
All hail the Queen!!! Diane McKinney-Whetstone has done it again! I read Tumbling and thoroughly enjoyed it. I recommended it to anyone who would listen. I anxiously awaited the author's second novel and I was not disappointed!! The characters in this book were so well-written that I was instantly drawn into their world. I wanted to dislike Ramona, but was so intrigued by her that I found myself hoping that something good would happen for her. Shern, Victoria and Bliss were so brave and loyal to one another that I knew they would make it. And the Aunts and Uncles--- what characters!!! If you haven't read this book, run out and buy it right now!!! Ms. McKinney-Whetstone, keep doing what you're doing!!!!!!!!!
July 14, 2011
Okay it wasn't the book that I wanted, but it ended up being a really good read. It's about this woman and her family. The long and short of it is that her Mom dies young, she's raised by her Mom's siblings (two aunts and two uncles) in the upper scale area of Philly. She marries young and has three girls. Her husband dies in a crab fishing accident and she goes insane because of the medication she's presribed to deal with her mourning. The girls are taken away and put into foster care because of an incident that took place when she was a child one of the aunt's assaulted a man who kept harrassing them about being her father, only he wasn't and it wasn't possible since he was a eunuch. The foster home is horrible but because the foster mom has unmentionable relations with the placement staff she gets preferential treatment. I won't tell you how it ends, but there's a lot to this story, this is just the bases. If you like reading gut-wrenching stories then this is the one to read. It's about true love, the love/hate relationship between a daughter and mother, the bond between mother and child, soul mates, and so many other things I can't add them all without giving away the whole story. Just read it and if you don't like it then you can never take my advice again. ;-)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 22, 2015
This is another love story of a family when true love exist. It conquers all bridges. I love the author's writing style of bridging the information to the reader in a poetic style. Each detail of the rooms and the expressions on the characters faces is mastered. Excellent Read. The reader will find something new in this book each time you read it.
June 13, 2017
I really wanted to like this but struggled. The last 20% took me 4 days!
July 22, 2011
Lyrical, visible, visceral writing plunk you into West Philly where impressions are imperatively obeyed. It explores relationships: angst clashing mother and daughter, unconnected father and son, interwoven and united siblings.
Favorite quotes:
“..and since they knew the importance of keeping the hands moving when the heart is standing still, they doubled their usual production of two thousand bars of soap to four.”
“A steady tone of voice could sop up fear like a sponge, no matter what words were being spoken, just the connections of somebody’s breaths shaped and formed through their vocal cords, mixing with another’s ears going from the brain eventually to the heart, to calm it. So he kept his voice hushed and low; he let his words run together but in an unhurried way like a continuous, languishing hum.”
Favorite quotes:
“..and since they knew the importance of keeping the hands moving when the heart is standing still, they doubled their usual production of two thousand bars of soap to four.”
“A steady tone of voice could sop up fear like a sponge, no matter what words were being spoken, just the connections of somebody’s breaths shaped and formed through their vocal cords, mixing with another’s ears going from the brain eventually to the heart, to calm it. So he kept his voice hushed and low; he let his words run together but in an unhurried way like a continuous, languishing hum.”
February 10, 2010
I started this book yesterday afternoon, and simply couldn't stop reading it. It is amazing! If you enjoy character-driven stories that make you feel like you're living the story, not just reading about it, I cannot recommend this novel highly enough. Just make sure you have some time, as I don't think you'll want to put it down, either :)
October 12, 2014
I picked up this book completely randomly and finished it the same day I checked it out. It has several disturbing themes in it that I would've liked to see resolved or at least mentioned in more detail, but the story was decent and the characters had hints of depth that made me like them.
May 11, 2009
LOVE this author. This one isn't quite as fantastic as Tumbling, but still a beautiful read.
May 3, 2019
Set in 1960's Philidelphia, this is a story weaved of love, family issues, and unexpected tragedy. Clarise meets and marries Finch and has 3 children, all girls. Finch is a successful chef/caterer and moves his family to a mildly affluent neighborhood. Their life together is rich up until Finch's business is hit with the onslaught of intergration and he looses most of his clients. In a desperate attempt at a new business venture, Finch tragically drowns after getting caught in a storm on a crab boat. This tragedy sends Finch's family into a whirlwind. Clarise, the loving wife and mother falls into a depression and in a prescription drug induced blue fog and accidently cut her wrists while knitting and is written off as unstable and suicidal and is thrown into an institution where she gets bogged down with even more drugs. The girls are thrown into foster care with a family with deep issues of their own consisting of mother (Mae), and her young adult daughter, (Ramona). The girls try their best at blending into their new temporary life as fosters but is met with indifference by Ramona and the kids at their new school. Their privilaged and refined lifestyle is soon forgotten as they embark on this new journey as fosters.
This is my third read from Diane McKinney-Whetstone and I must say I have enjoyed all of them thus far. I didn't give this one a 5 star because I felt that the story line at times got lost in "poetic prose". McKinney-Whetstone did a wonderful job at character development. The Aunts and Uncles were the most creative characters in my opinion. The three totally different personalities of the girls were beautifully written. Each child, Shern, Victoria, and Bliss was a joy for me to read their dialog and interactions.
I appreciated the awarness that was given in regards to "intitutions" and how it seems their only treatment plan is to give more mind altering drugs to those whose minds are already altered.
The breakdown in Ramona and her mother's relationship seemed strange to me. Once I found out in the end what that was all about, I felt like it wasn't that serious. It felt anticlimactic, as if the reason for them not getting along could've been something a bit deeper. I never really understood the reason for Ramona's "loose" ways. Maybe because she was looking for love in all the wrong places to make up for the love that her mother stopped giving to her when she was 5? I love the way she "womaned up" in the end and professed her love and need for her boyfriend Tyrone.
This was a good read, some parts of the story got a little slow for me but I pushed through. Lot's of gems dropped in this novel. However, the ending seemed rushed to me. It just came to an abrupt end. It didn't take away much of my appreciation of the story though, so I would recommend it to others. I think it would be a good book to discuss in a book club.
This is my third read from Diane McKinney-Whetstone and I must say I have enjoyed all of them thus far. I didn't give this one a 5 star because I felt that the story line at times got lost in "poetic prose". McKinney-Whetstone did a wonderful job at character development. The Aunts and Uncles were the most creative characters in my opinion. The three totally different personalities of the girls were beautifully written. Each child, Shern, Victoria, and Bliss was a joy for me to read their dialog and interactions.
I appreciated the awarness that was given in regards to "intitutions" and how it seems their only treatment plan is to give more mind altering drugs to those whose minds are already altered.
The breakdown in Ramona and her mother's relationship seemed strange to me. Once I found out in the end what that was all about, I felt like it wasn't that serious. It felt anticlimactic, as if the reason for them not getting along could've been something a bit deeper. I never really understood the reason for Ramona's "loose" ways. Maybe because she was looking for love in all the wrong places to make up for the love that her mother stopped giving to her when she was 5? I love the way she "womaned up" in the end and professed her love and need for her boyfriend Tyrone.
This was a good read, some parts of the story got a little slow for me but I pushed through. Lot's of gems dropped in this novel. However, the ending seemed rushed to me. It just came to an abrupt end. It didn't take away much of my appreciation of the story though, so I would recommend it to others. I think it would be a good book to discuss in a book club.
July 8, 2017
I was pretty underwhelmed with this story from early on but stuck with it to the end while waiting for it to pick up a real pulse. It never really did live up to its potential as a decent story.
The MAJOR problem for me is the quality of the writing. It's very poor. This book seems to be a rushed, very very rough draft that got published without an editor even looking it over. There are run-on sentences and sentence fragments aplenty. They're all over the place and don't always make sense logically. The author rushes through the few parts that could have been interesting, almost completely avoiding dialogue in the process, and then spends endless amounts of time on the minutiae of the lives of flat, boring characters. The author tells instead of showing. Since the characters aren't fleshed out, the dialogue is particularly disappointing; when it finally shows up, it's often lacking or nonsensical. There are constant word-for-word repetitions of minor details that remind me of when I'm writing a rough draft and haven't yet decided on final detail placements. At times the characters are thinking silently but the passages of their thoughts have no italics or quotation marks. Sometimes the reader isn't even told until a few sentences later that these are character thoughts. Last but not least, this book is filled with off-key metaphors that simply do not strike a chord. They just don't work.
I'm actually surprised that I finished this book, although I did speed-read through the last 3rd with all of its repetitious, meandering passages that serve only to fatten the book up. The pattern was easy to spot by then: liiittle something would happen and the story would *almost* move forward, then came a lot of fluffy material that added nothing to the story. Rinse and repeat. I think the author had a slim glimmer of an idea for a story but didn't develop it nearly enough. The editor, if there was one, shouldn't have allowed this book to be published as it is.
The MAJOR problem for me is the quality of the writing. It's very poor. This book seems to be a rushed, very very rough draft that got published without an editor even looking it over. There are run-on sentences and sentence fragments aplenty. They're all over the place and don't always make sense logically. The author rushes through the few parts that could have been interesting, almost completely avoiding dialogue in the process, and then spends endless amounts of time on the minutiae of the lives of flat, boring characters. The author tells instead of showing. Since the characters aren't fleshed out, the dialogue is particularly disappointing; when it finally shows up, it's often lacking or nonsensical. There are constant word-for-word repetitions of minor details that remind me of when I'm writing a rough draft and haven't yet decided on final detail placements. At times the characters are thinking silently but the passages of their thoughts have no italics or quotation marks. Sometimes the reader isn't even told until a few sentences later that these are character thoughts. Last but not least, this book is filled with off-key metaphors that simply do not strike a chord. They just don't work.
I'm actually surprised that I finished this book, although I did speed-read through the last 3rd with all of its repetitious, meandering passages that serve only to fatten the book up. The pattern was easy to spot by then: liiittle something would happen and the story would *almost* move forward, then came a lot of fluffy material that added nothing to the story. Rinse and repeat. I think the author had a slim glimmer of an idea for a story but didn't develop it nearly enough. The editor, if there was one, shouldn't have allowed this book to be published as it is.
August 1, 2021
A weakish four stars. This was a story that was slow to pick up for me. None of the adult characters were very likeable. The three little girls were strong and brave and had a tight bond supporting each other through all their hard times. And they weren't just three little girls. They were each individually drawn, Bliss the spunky, sassy one, Victoria the middle child, peacemaker, and Shern trying hard to be the responsible oldest sister. I think it must be harder to write child characters that come alive like that.
Even though the adults were all very flawed characters, they learn from the consequences of their behaviors (sometimes that takes years). They grow and develop and become better , more loving people, or become more able to be the more loving people they were always meant to be. The ending did feel rushed after the slow pace of the rest of the story and it was a whole lot of love conquers everything and all these people who had been so traumatized and damaged were suddenly going to be fine.
It is a story of African Americans in Philadelphia in the 1960's. A lot of it seemed very real. Clarice and her husband (somehow) make a whole bunch of money from their catering business and move into a posh, snobby upper middle class white neighborhood, but their white neighbors refuse to have anything to do with them, even to give them the time of day. Then there is Mae living in gritty ghetto-ish West Philly. There's the hair salons where the women bond and the smoky dive bars. One nice touch is the author keeps throwing pop songs in. Suddenly Ramona is humming My Girl. For some one who lived through those times, it's amazing how just the mention of a song like that immediately brings the whole culture back to life.
Even though the adults were all very flawed characters, they learn from the consequences of their behaviors (sometimes that takes years). They grow and develop and become better , more loving people, or become more able to be the more loving people they were always meant to be. The ending did feel rushed after the slow pace of the rest of the story and it was a whole lot of love conquers everything and all these people who had been so traumatized and damaged were suddenly going to be fine.
It is a story of African Americans in Philadelphia in the 1960's. A lot of it seemed very real. Clarice and her husband (somehow) make a whole bunch of money from their catering business and move into a posh, snobby upper middle class white neighborhood, but their white neighbors refuse to have anything to do with them, even to give them the time of day. Then there is Mae living in gritty ghetto-ish West Philly. There's the hair salons where the women bond and the smoky dive bars. One nice touch is the author keeps throwing pop songs in. Suddenly Ramona is humming My Girl. For some one who lived through those times, it's amazing how just the mention of a song like that immediately brings the whole culture back to life.
June 25, 2024
Finch loved Clarise the way Teacake loved Janie Crawford*. He spends his time thinking of gifts to give her and preparing meals for her and their three young daughters Shern, Victoria and Bliss. Finch’s provisional nature takes him on an allegedly lucrative, crab catching trip. He finds himself in the ocean, cursing and fighting with it (Bliss), remembering advice he’s received (Victoria) and considering his family (Shern). “Tempest Rising,” is about an entire community weathering the storm.
Every character is just trying to survive. Clarise suffers a mental breakdown. The girls move into Mae’s foster home, where her grown, yet jealous, daughter, Ramona, cares for them. Bliss bickers with Ramona. Ramona fights her urges for her boyfriend’s daddy**. Shern basically fights back.
Diane McKinney Whetstone has the ability write realistic characters because she shows their good and bad sides. I found Ramona to be the most compelling. She was just sooo mean. Then Mae is introduced and Ramona’s meanness is explained and actualized and begins to heal… all in waves. Mrs. McKinney Whetstone used Mae and Ramona’s relationship as a vehicle to discuss abuse, generational trauma and living under financial strain. Mae controlled men and overlooked their wrong doings, which I believe turned Ramona into this dark feminine, sultry woman with an icebox where her heart used to be.
I wasn’t braced to ugly cry at the end, but I think the abruptness was the perfect homage to Finch’s battle with the ocean. I would read hundreds of books like this one. I’ll recommend it to moms, daughters, and romantics who enjoy rereading *their eyes were watching God,” by Zora Neale Hurston. Also if you shook your head reading ** “you made a fool of death with your beauty,” while asking “with his damn daddy though?,” you might chuckle to yourself here too.
Every character is just trying to survive. Clarise suffers a mental breakdown. The girls move into Mae’s foster home, where her grown, yet jealous, daughter, Ramona, cares for them. Bliss bickers with Ramona. Ramona fights her urges for her boyfriend’s daddy**. Shern basically fights back.
Diane McKinney Whetstone has the ability write realistic characters because she shows their good and bad sides. I found Ramona to be the most compelling. She was just sooo mean. Then Mae is introduced and Ramona’s meanness is explained and actualized and begins to heal… all in waves. Mrs. McKinney Whetstone used Mae and Ramona’s relationship as a vehicle to discuss abuse, generational trauma and living under financial strain. Mae controlled men and overlooked their wrong doings, which I believe turned Ramona into this dark feminine, sultry woman with an icebox where her heart used to be.
I wasn’t braced to ugly cry at the end, but I think the abruptness was the perfect homage to Finch’s battle with the ocean. I would read hundreds of books like this one. I’ll recommend it to moms, daughters, and romantics who enjoy rereading *their eyes were watching God,” by Zora Neale Hurston. Also if you shook your head reading ** “you made a fool of death with your beauty,” while asking “with his damn daddy though?,” you might chuckle to yourself here too.
January 26, 2024
I devoured the pages of Tempest Rising, savoring each well-crafted sentence. The writing was impeccable, drawing me in from the very first page and keeping me captivated until the very end. This book was an absolute joy to read, evoking a range of emotions from laughter to tears.
However, there were moments when I found myself wanting to reach into the pages and give some of the characters, particularly Mae, a good shake. This is a testament to the author's skill in creating complex and realistic characters that elicit strong reactions from the reader.
Despite the hardships faced by Clarise and her family, the author beautifully wove a tale that left me feeling a deep connection to the story. Diane McKinney-Whetstone expertly delved into themes of grief, love, class, mental health, and family relationships, shedding light on the sometimes negative impact parents can have on their children's lives. Poor Ramona.
My only criticism is that I wished for a more conclusive ending, as I was left wanting more from the conclusion of the story. Nonetheless, I am eager to explore more of McKinney-Whetstone's work and will certainly be diving into her bibliography in the near future. Tempest Rising has solidified its place as one of my favorite reads, and I eagerly anticipate the next book by this talented author.
However, there were moments when I found myself wanting to reach into the pages and give some of the characters, particularly Mae, a good shake. This is a testament to the author's skill in creating complex and realistic characters that elicit strong reactions from the reader.
Despite the hardships faced by Clarise and her family, the author beautifully wove a tale that left me feeling a deep connection to the story. Diane McKinney-Whetstone expertly delved into themes of grief, love, class, mental health, and family relationships, shedding light on the sometimes negative impact parents can have on their children's lives. Poor Ramona.
My only criticism is that I wished for a more conclusive ending, as I was left wanting more from the conclusion of the story. Nonetheless, I am eager to explore more of McKinney-Whetstone's work and will certainly be diving into her bibliography in the near future. Tempest Rising has solidified its place as one of my favorite reads, and I eagerly anticipate the next book by this talented author.
July 27, 2023
Aside from the sadness and loss described in this story, we encounter systemic abuse in multiple forms, generational trauma, mental health issues / situations, financial and emotional strain.
The most important thing that I gained from this story was that family is important. Systems in place, here - foster care, often try to convince you otherwise however, family and other caring, emotionally individuals are always best.
⚡️
Now Ramona is one of the caregivers for the girls and caring for them brings up her past that forces her to realize the truths that she has buried between herself and her mother, Mae. Especially when Victoria, Stern, and Bliss leave the house in the middle of the night.
Anywho, this story is full of laughter, smart mouthed little girls, cheating men, and a mama who sleeps with the white man for control.
The most important thing that I gained from this story was that family is important. Systems in place, here - foster care, often try to convince you otherwise however, family and other caring, emotionally individuals are always best.
⚡️
Now Ramona is one of the caregivers for the girls and caring for them brings up her past that forces her to realize the truths that she has buried between herself and her mother, Mae. Especially when Victoria, Stern, and Bliss leave the house in the middle of the night.
Anywho, this story is full of laughter, smart mouthed little girls, cheating men, and a mama who sleeps with the white man for control.
September 8, 2018
This is the second book In have read by this Author. The story began great, the flow was ok.. But for all the setting up of the story so we can visualize what was going on, it's like The Author got tired and dropped her pen. There were too many unaddressed issues or rather holes in the story. Why even bring the dirty Nephew in to the story of all he was doing & had done was not going to be addressed? Just why exactly were The Aunts & Uncles so to themselves? How come Vy and her low down ways were not addressed further? Mister, what's his deal? I feel like I was left hanging. This happened with the last book I read by Diane, The Tumbling. Why draw is in if you are not gonna write the story & get tired or bored with it?
June 8, 2020
I thought this book was good, it really picked up in the final third to me and I stayed up all night to finish only to abruptly be ended. The ending felt like the author got tired of writing or was on a deadline and said screw it thats enough. I turned the last page distinctly preparing to read an epilogue in the least, but nothing. It just felt so unfinished. What happened? what were the consequences of clarises decision? A lot of the ending i am realizing was just implied. I also didnt understand how Ramona's remembrance suddenly made her understand her mother. It was instant and thats baffling as that just doesnt seem like human nature to me. Overall worth a read
September 23, 2017
Amazing
I haven't read a book this good and deep since the 90's! Well written. I found myself emotionally attached to the characters in this story! I've been a fan of Diane McKinney- Whetstone since I read Blues Dancing when I was 17. An amazing storyteller. I wish authors today wrote with this much passion. With the ability to draw the reader in. The story of these girls desperately trying to get back to their loved ones and Romana crying out for her mothers love was amazing!
I haven't read a book this good and deep since the 90's! Well written. I found myself emotionally attached to the characters in this story! I've been a fan of Diane McKinney- Whetstone since I read Blues Dancing when I was 17. An amazing storyteller. I wish authors today wrote with this much passion. With the ability to draw the reader in. The story of these girls desperately trying to get back to their loved ones and Romana crying out for her mothers love was amazing!
December 31, 2017
Set in Philadelphia in the 1960's, three young African American girls from a prosperous family have their lives turned upside down when their dad dies and their mom is placed in a mental institution thus causing them to be put in foster care. There were many plots going on in this book including the domestic issues between the foster care parents. While I did enjoyed this book I did take it down by one star because I felt like the ending was too rushed and left the story hanging.
January 7, 2021
This was my first read by this author and she did not disappoint. This was one heck of a family story. I so enjoyed watching the black love that was Clarise and Finch. It made my heart soar. They came together in love and created three beautiful daughters. Years later a tragic event occurs and it sends this family down such a terrible spiral you wonder how they will ever make it. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and will definitely read more from this author.
March 11, 2025
Diane has a way with words that keeps me hooked with every book I pick up. I’ve seen others complain that she tells instead of shows, and I would agree if it weren’t for the style of Diane’s writing. She doesn’t just tell - she makes you feel. You feel every ounce of hurt, guilt, joy, loss, and hope of each of the characters.
Reading this book feels like sharing deep stories with a girlfriend over coffee, tears, and laughs.
Reading this book feels like sharing deep stories with a girlfriend over coffee, tears, and laughs.
August 11, 2025
Pretty quick read about family ties and disfunctions, and ultimately love. I liked the characters but it seemed like a lot of characters to track, so most of them didn't get a lot of background or development. something i noticed, She used the stomach and different feelings in the stomach to convey emotions, which after a while became repetitive. I like this author, will probably read whatever she produces.
February 26, 2019
There is Always Tomorrow
This novel was an easy easy and page turner. The characters were realistic . As you read the book you could picture the upper class neighborhood and the working class neighbor hood. The setting was truly descriptive of Philadelphia’s time span. Love blossoms for the rich and the poor.
This novel was an easy easy and page turner. The characters were realistic . As you read the book you could picture the upper class neighborhood and the working class neighbor hood. The setting was truly descriptive of Philadelphia’s time span. Love blossoms for the rich and the poor.
July 27, 2024
Diane McKinney-Whetstone should be the official author of West Philadelphia. She nails it. This took me back to my childhood even though it was set 20 years before I was born.
I appreciated the abrupt ending in some ways. I did hope for a very happy ending, in which Daddy came home.
Loved this.
I appreciated the abrupt ending in some ways. I did hope for a very happy ending, in which Daddy came home.
Loved this.
May 8, 2017
Irresistible
This novel has very complex duties and characters. It was a page turned for me. Perhaps a sequel? I would recommend it to others because it moves fast and will hold the reader's interest.
This novel has very complex duties and characters. It was a page turned for me. Perhaps a sequel? I would recommend it to others because it moves fast and will hold the reader's interest.
January 11, 2025
Whew! I read this book yearssssssss ago and it has stayed with me.
This book pulls on your heart on so many levels: there's grief, there's abandonment, there's separation, there's sisterly bond, there's a thriller aspect, there's mother daughter complexities. This book is top tier.
This book pulls on your heart on so many levels: there's grief, there's abandonment, there's separation, there's sisterly bond, there's a thriller aspect, there's mother daughter complexities. This book is top tier.
July 25, 2017
A soulful story. Funny, sad and triumphant! I loved these characters.
August 28, 2017
Love her writing good read
January 17, 2018
Not a page turner, but not a slow read
This book was a very interesting read. This is my first time reading the work of this author. This book will not disappoint.
This book was a very interesting read. This is my first time reading the work of this author. This book will not disappoint.
September 16, 2018
Captivating Story
This was such a captivating story of love, forgiveness, family, strength and weathering change. It was such a great read that I didn't want it to end!!!
This was such a captivating story of love, forgiveness, family, strength and weathering change. It was such a great read that I didn't want it to end!!!
August 2, 2021
This book was good from the first page to the last. ❤
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