Genre Fiction
![Diane McKinney-Whetstone - [object Object] author](https://res.cloudinary.com/readsomnia/image/upload/authors/a_B000AP7YHM.jpg)
Our Gen: A Novel
"Our Gen is warm and smart, accessible yet meaningful, a beach read with strong writing and emotional heft."-BookPage
Residents of an active-living retirement community revert to lives of youthful indulgence, even as time-bomb secrets of their pasts tick toward explosion.
The Gen-short for Sexagenarian-is an upscale fifty-five-plus community located in the bucolic suburbs of Philadelphia. Main character Cynthia befriends the Gen's two other Black residents, Bloc and Tish, as well as Lavia, who everyone assumes is from India. They regularly convene to smoke weed, line dance, and debate politics and philosophy as the wine goes down like silk. Their camaraderie is exhilarating.
But beneath the fun and froth, storms gather. With its walls of windows gushing light and air, the Gen becomes the catalyst for secrets to be exposed.
Shifting the narrative between the characters' pasts and the present day, Diane McKinney-Whetstone deftly builds suspense as she captures with insight, poignancy, and humor, the scars, tenderness, and swagger of those not yet old, but no longer young, coming to the mean acceptance that life is finite after all, who knew.
Residents of an active-living retirement community revert to lives of youthful indulgence, even as time-bomb secrets of their pasts tick toward explosion.
The Gen-short for Sexagenarian-is an upscale fifty-five-plus community located in the bucolic suburbs of Philadelphia. Main character Cynthia befriends the Gen's two other Black residents, Bloc and Tish, as well as Lavia, who everyone assumes is from India. They regularly convene to smoke weed, line dance, and debate politics and philosophy as the wine goes down like silk. Their camaraderie is exhilarating.
But beneath the fun and froth, storms gather. With its walls of windows gushing light and air, the Gen becomes the catalyst for secrets to be exposed.
Shifting the narrative between the characters' pasts and the present day, Diane McKinney-Whetstone deftly builds suspense as she captures with insight, poignancy, and humor, the scars, tenderness, and swagger of those not yet old, but no longer young, coming to the mean acceptance that life is finite after all, who knew.
Editorial Reviews
"Our Gen is warm and smart, accessible yet meaningful, a beach read with strong writing and emotional heft." - BookPage
"Rooted in intrigue, humor and potential romance, though never far from heartache, Our Gen may be as close as revered and award-winning Philadelphia author Diane McKinney-Whetstone ever comes to the Beach Read section. Its main foursome-all nonwhite residents of a schmancy 55+ 'active living' community somewhere outside Philly-like to drink, crack jokes and smoke weed, but there are secrets bubbling just under the surface that may threaten the group dynamic. As always, it's about characters for McKinney-Whetstone, and these four leap off the page with charm, vitality, and vulnerability." - Philadelphia Inquirer
"McKinney-Whetstone has a gentle storytelling style peppered with delightful turns of phrase. Her sexagenarian characters Cynthia, Bloc, Tish, and Lavia live more boldly and more honestly than their adult-age children, and probably have more sex too." - Glamour
"Told with tenderness, insight, and humor. . . . Diane McKinney-Whetstone details the lives of four sexagenarian residents of a suburban retirement community who revel in youthful indulgences as they grapple with aging, regret, and long-held secrets." - Shondaland
"Rooted in intrigue, humor and potential romance, though never far from heartache, Our Gen may be as close as revered and award-winning Philadelphia author Diane McKinney-Whetstone ever comes to the Beach Read section. Its main foursome-all nonwhite residents of a schmancy 55+ 'active living' community somewhere outside Philly-like to drink, crack jokes and smoke weed, but there are secrets bubbling just under the surface that may threaten the group dynamic. As always, it's about characters for McKinney-Whetstone, and these four leap off the page with charm, vitality, and vulnerability." - Philadelphia Inquirer
"McKinney-Whetstone has a gentle storytelling style peppered with delightful turns of phrase. Her sexagenarian characters Cynthia, Bloc, Tish, and Lavia live more boldly and more honestly than their adult-age children, and probably have more sex too." - Glamour
"Told with tenderness, insight, and humor. . . . Diane McKinney-Whetstone details the lives of four sexagenarian residents of a suburban retirement community who revel in youthful indulgences as they grapple with aging, regret, and long-held secrets." - Shondaland
Readers Top Reviews
Lady JusticeNC S.
I absolutely love this author’s character development. While this book was not long, it gave you a sense of “kinship “ with all its characters. It’s been awhile since I’ve read one of her books and I’m delighted that I’m catching up. This book is entertaining, thoughtful and will give you a good laugh. Bravo Ms. McKinney-Whetstone, I throughly enjoyed this book, as I have you others.
Tee
Currently working as a caregiver, heard about this book from the radio. I’m a Philly native, and I was not disappointed in this read. Finished in two sittings of about 3-5hours each.
Deanna A.
I’ve always been a fan. I grew up in the same era and area so everything in this book is very relevant to me. My best read in a while!
valinda Sanders
Loved this well written, intriguing, and timely novel. As I enter my 60's , I am planning to live as fully as these characters. Good food, great stories, reconciling the past and calm healing as comfortable in our skin-card-playing-medical weed smoking sexagenerian lives keep on getting on. I enjoyed this adventure from one of my favorite authors.
JuJu
Loved this book. The characters are my age and in college at the same time. It took me back to that time and the mistakes made because of innocence. I don't regret a minute. I was glad that Cynthia was able to forgive herself and move on with her life. Well put together story and back stories for each character. I'd recommend this book to folks who enjoy a good fast read.
