Rating: 
Summary: It doesn't get any better than this
Review: Once again, I have fallen in love with a book from Diane McKinney Whetstone. I finished Leaving Cecil Street in a little over 2 days; as the book was drawing to a close, I read slowly and sparingly, savoring each word, because I just didn't want it to end. As usual, McKinney-Whetstone's characters are well-developed and dynamic and the story is an involved page-turner (I almost missed my stop on the train, I was so into it!). This book is worth every penny I paid for it and them some. Check it out!
Rating:
Summary: Warm...Complex....Intriguing
Review: "Leaving Cecil Street" was an enjoyable and warm book to read. The book takes us back to Philly. And we are wrapped into this wonderfully imaginative story of youth, healing wounds, loss, marriage, longing and overcoming. I really love how the author describes each character with an honesty that makes you love them all. Joe is such a complex character who struggles with infidelity and the loss of passion in many areas of his life. I think the reader really relates to him and his desire to fill the empty spaces and explore the "what ifs" from his past. Also, I love how it explores the issue of living with choices and doing the right thing. I have read all Ms. Whetstone's other books and this one is another success...I highly recommend it!
Rating:
Summary: Warm...Complex....Intriguing
Review: "Leaving Cecil Street" was an enjoyable and warm book to read. The book takes us back to Philly. And we are wrapped into this wonderfully imaginative story of youth, healing wounds, loss, marriage, longing and overcoming. I really love how the author describes each character with an honesty that makes you love them all. Joe is such a complex character who struggles with infidelity and the loss of passion in many areas of his life. I think the reader really relates to him and his desire to fill the empty spaces and explore the "what ifs" from his past. Also, I love how it explores the issue of living with choices and doing the right thing. I have read all Ms. Whetstone's other books and this one is another success...I highly recommend it!
Rating:
Summary: Harlem Renaissance Memories!
Review: 1969 was a tumultuous time for blacks in America. Black leaders such as Malcolm X and Martin Luther King had been assassinated after leading the battle for civil rights. Hippies roamed the streets preaching free love; and the "black is beautiful" movement was in full effect. And though there were troubles and hard times, there were still neighborhoods where folks treated either other decently, almost like family. Next-door neighbors spanked your kids for you when you were away. Block parties brought people together. Even funerals brought out the love in others in the form of repasts, where neighbors cooked all kinds of food in hopes of bringing your spirits up. "Leaving Cecil Street" captures all of the above and then some. The new novel from the author of Tumbling, Tempest Rising, and Blues Dancing tells the story of the goings on of two families who live next door to one another in West Philadelphia. This includes Joe, a horn-playing lover of both jazz music and women who can't seem to keep his hands off the latter even though he is married. Louise, his wife, is a wife and mother who refuses to see a dentist, even though half the teeth in her mouth are rotten. Shay is their Afro-wearing teenage daughter whose best friend lives next door. Bonita (Neet) is Shay's best friend for life. And Alberta is the church-going, mean-spirited mother of Neet who has a secret past. Then there's Deucie, a strange and dying woman looking for her lost daughter who takes up residency in Joe and Louise's basement during a block party without their knowledge. The story centers on what happens with both families before and after Neet's pregnancy and subsequent, illegal abortion (described with shocking and incredible detail). After this tragedy is revealed, it affects the entire neighborhood, especially the next-door neighbors and their relationships with each other. Before the story ends, the past will be remembered, secrets will be revealed and life-altering decisions will be made. "Leaving Cecil Street" is a moving and enchanting work of art from Diane McKinney-Whetstone. Not only is the author an expert in crafting a masterful plot but the fine-tuned writing shows a clear love of the language, a skill lots of writers lack. The book invokes the spirit of works from The Harlem Renaissance era. You can almost hear the likes of Langston and Zora kindly nudging the author on. This book is a must read for everyone.
Rating:
Summary: All Praises for Cecil Street!
Review: Diane McKinney-Whetstone does an incredible job of weaving the lives and stories of folks on Cecil Street. A masterful storyteller can be found in her previous works, Tumbling and Blues Dancing, Diane manages to showcase her storytelling talents again by taking her readers on several journeys at once, through the perspectives of her major characters Louise, Joe, Alberta, Shay and Neet.
Again, All Praises for Cecil Street!
Trinice Speight-Moses
Sisters with a Purpose Bookclub - New Jersey
Rating:
Summary: I absolutely loved this book - Powerful storytelling!
Review: Diane McKinney-Whetstone is one of my favorite authors. She did not let me down with Leaving Cecil Street; it is a pleasure to read from beginning to end. You are in for an emotional journey as you read this book, with curves and surprises that unfold in such a way that at times you may have to remind yourself to breathe. Pain, recovery and tenderness run through this story. I don't want to give away much, just know that the young and the old in this story are ordinary people with extraordinary histories, and that history will be revealed in a touching and powerful way. I loved the ending especially, which is not tied up in some neat little bow but rather it ends more like real life, still a bow but a little frayed around the edges. If you enjoy thought provoking stories, please buy and read this book...you will not be disappointed.
Rating:
Summary: The Neighborhood to Watch
Review: Diane McKinney-Whetstone, Leaving Cecil Street, is a vibrant and intriguing novel. The characters make the street and the story come alive. If you like The Women of Brewster's Place, you'll love this one. This story will give book clubs something interesting to talk about.
Rating:
Summary: Love her books
Review: I have read all of her books so far now. I was kind of disappointed to read the ending because it left me in the dark about Alberta & Joe, Louise & Joe. Would Louise leave Joe and get with the guy with the ugly scar that she hooked up with at the last block party? Would Alberta & Joe continue with their nightly relationship they once had cleared the air? However, overall the book was awesome. Great read. Finished it in 2 days. Couldn't put it down.
Rating:
Summary: a delight
Review: I loved this book. It was a little hard to get into but once I did, I was mesmerized. As a child of the 60s, I so enjoyed the memories of getting your hair pressed, conjuring up visuals of those Southern women with their strength and on and on. What a pleasure it was to read this tantalizing story.
Rating: 
Summary: HER BEST YET
Review: I usually enjoy Diane Mckinney Whetstone, but never to the level of 5 stars. This one came close. It's the best I've ever read by her. A good nostalgic, complex family story set in the 1960's with really interesting women characters. I loved the "church fanatic". What a twist!
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