Trading Dreams at Midnight: A Novel

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.