Family Spirit

Diane McKinney-Whetstone’s latest character-rich page-turner blends her signature style with a little magic in its depiction of the Maces, a vibrant family of Philadelphia clairvoyants with issues.

Ayana has inherited the Knowing gene that the Maces believe has been passed down to at least one girl child in every generation for as far back as they can trace. But her mother has tried to convince her that she is nothing like those weird Mace women. To keep the peace, Ayana lies to everyone—to the Maces, insisting she’s never felt a Knowing, to her mother about participating in the rituals, and to herself about her relationship with a man who helps her recover repeatedly from the mania she experiences after seeing the future. Ayana’s aunt Lil, banned from the Mace home decades ago after violating a sacred vow, has returned to Philadelphia for a medical procedure. She settles into the chaos of her brother’s home where Ayana, a failing college senior, has also returned.

After a harrowing premonition, Ayana must decide whether to deepen family schisms by enlisting her aunt’s help, even as she learns the shocking details of Lil’s breach of the sacred vow.

Meanwhile, Nona becomes more of a participant than a creator as her own drama is deftly interspersed throughout, and she too yields to the power of the Mace family and its indomitable spirit.