Family Spirit Book Talk: A Conversation with Diane McKinney-Whetstone

Join Unerased | Black Women Speak for an inspiring evening embracing the power of storytelling and the legacy of Black women writers. We will salute authors featured in our PrimeTime 55+video along with other scribes who have crafted powerful narratives that reflect the richness, complexity, and beauty of Black women's lives and experiences.

We will also host celebrated novelists Diane McKinney-Whetstone, whose newly released book Family Spirit will center a conversation with Bernardine “Dine” Watson, author of the award-winning book Transplant: A Memoir. Together, they will discuss McKinney-Whetstone’s latest novel, a sweeping intergenerational story rooted in Philadelphia, layered with themes of heritage, resilience, and mysticism.

This one-of-a-kind event will be held at the Woodridge Neighborhood Library, an important landmark in Northeast DC that reaffirms our connections with books, history and community.

Diane McKinney-Whetstone Diane McKinney-Whetstone is the author of the critically acclaimed novels Our Gen, Tumbling, Lazaretto, Tempest Rising, Blues Dancing, Leaving Cecil Street, Trading Dreams at Midnight, and Family Spirit. She is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Black Caucus of the American Library Association’s Literary Award for Fiction, which she won twice. A past lecturer at the University of Pennsylvania, her work has appeared in The Atlantic, Essence, Philadelphia magazine, and The Philadelphia Inquirer. She lives in Philadelphia with her husband, Greg.

Bernardine “Dine” Watson Bernardine (Dine) Watson is a native Philadelphian now living in Washington, DC. In 2024, two of her poems were nominated for the Pushcart Prize. Her book, Transplant: A Memoir, won the Washington Writers' Publishing House 2023 nonfiction prize. She was selected to participate in the 2017 and 2018 classes of the Hurston Wright Foundation’s Summer Poetry workshop. She is a 2015 class member of the DC Commission on Arts and Humanities Poet in Progress Program. Dine's poetry has been published in numerous national and DC area journals. Dine is currently a member of the Washington Writers’ Publishing House board of directors.

Known for her masterful storytelling and vivid characters, author Diane McKinney-Whetstone’s novel FAMILY SPIRIT (Amistad; on sale August 12, 2025; $26.99) intertwines themes of family, heritage, and self-discovery, with a touch of magic.

FAMILY SPIRIT follows the Mace family, clairvoyants rooted in Philadelphia, as they grapple with generations of complex relationships and shared knowledge. Central to the novel is Ayana, a college senior coping with both personal struggles and her

inherited gift. The return of her aunt Lil, cast out of the family decades ago for breaking a sacred vow, sets off a chain of events that challenge family bonds and reveal buried truths. In FAMILY SPIRIT, McKinney-Whetstone keeps the pages turning, seamlessly navigating past, present, and contrasting landscapes as she dips into the world of the Mace’s emancipated ancestors; casts Nona, the woman writing the novel, as both creator and participant; and illuminates a gifted family’s resilience and indomitable spirit.

With McKinney-Whetstone’s signature style on full display, this latest novel is poised to captivate her loyal audience while welcoming new readers.

Host or Publisher Unerased | Black Women Speak & Woodridge Library