Freeda, plagued by mental illness, abandons her daughters Tish, 12, and Neena, 16, when she just walks out of the house and doesn't come back. She's done it before, and the girls always stayed with their grandmother, Nan, but this time she doesn't come back. Trish never bonded with her mother and feels closer to her grandmother, so she wants their mother to stay away. Neena, however, has been the one to keep their mother stable when her bipolar symptoms show up. Neena wants Freeda back, and she wants to get away from the strict rules and expectations of Nan.

At 19, Neena leaves home to look for Freeda, traveling from city to city, wherever the clues lead her. She finances her way by hooking up with married men who pay her way. Now in her 30s, she's broke and running from a man who won't be blackmailed, so she goes home to Phillie. But she only wants Tish to take her in for a while; she doesn't want to see Nan. But Tish is in the hospital with a difficult pregnancy, and Nan has left strict orders with Tish's husband not to let Neena see or talk to Tish in case the shock of her sister's appearance makes her lose the baby.

When Nan finds out Neena is in town, it sparks memories of her relationship with her now hospitalized alcoholic husband and her mentally ill daughter. She reminisces over her mistakes in both relationships and those she made with Neena.

The book is well-written and does a good job of showing people in denial about addiction and mental illness, but it doesn't show much about the illnesses themselves. McKinney-Whetstone explores the subjects on a surface level.

The ending leaves the reader hanging. There's no real conclusion. The set-up for one is there, but it doesn't come together. ( )

Trading Dreams at Midnight is the tale of three women and how mental illness has impacted their lives. Each woman has a different perspective and has been shaped differently by the same circumstances.

Nan, the grandmother, has stepped in to raise her grandchildren when her mentally ill daughter abandoned them. Nan has her own cross to bear as she has a few skeletons hanging in her closet, pertaining to her husband and her daughter. She has a hard time accepting and then dealing with her daughter’s mental illness.

The least developed character of the three is Tish. She seems to be little more than a secondary character. Tish’s issues are mentioned, but are not discussed in much detail. Most of the information we learn about Tish is through other characters’ conversations and/or thoughts.

Neena, sister of Tish and granddaughter of Nan is the most disturbed by their mother’s disappearances and has dedicated her life to finding her mother. She finances her search by any means necessary. Some of the things she has done have been questionable. One of the ghosts come back to haunt her and sends her back to Philadelphia, to face a disagreeable grandmother and a fragile sister.

McKinney-Whetstone is a master of description, and setting. She makes you feel as if you are walking around the streets of Philadelphia. Her word choice is always clever and thought provoking. Overall, the book was well written. However, the secondary characters lack depth. Also, while there was new information revealed at the end, there was no true conclusion. The book leaves you feeling like you need more information. Unless this is a marketing tool for a sequel, the book really needed more of a sense of finality. ( )