Synopses & Reviews
I came busting into the world during one of New York's worst snowstorms, so my mother named me Winter. In a stunning first novel, renowned hip-hop artist, writer, and activist Sister Souljah brings the streets of New York to life with a powerful and utterly unforgettable tale.
Ghetto-born, Winter is the young, wealthy daughter of a prominent Brooklyn drug-dealing family. Quick-witted, sexy, businessminded, and fashionable, Winter knows no restrictions. No one can control her. She's nobody's victim. And her Pops lets her know she deserves the best. No slum jewelry, cheap shoes, or knockoff designer stuff. We lived in the projects but we were cool with that. We weren't wanting for a damn thing.
Winter knows the Brooklyn streets like she knows the curves of her own body. She maneuvers skillfully, applying all she has learned to come out on top, no matter how dramatically the scenes change. But a cold Winter wind is about to blow her life in a direction she could never have expected.
Pops wanted us to stay away from Brooklyn. He said things weren't safe there. I went crazy. Brooklyn was my world.
Unwilling to give up her ghetto celebrity status, her friends and her lovers, Winter sets off on a series of wild adventures to reclaim her role as princess of the alleyways. But when her schemes begin to unravel, Winter is on her own, figuring out a whole new way to survive.
The Coldest Winter Ever marks the debut of a gifted storyteller. Sister Souljah explores a young urban woman's innermost state of mind in a voice as bold as it is bracingly honest. Provocative and thoroughly entertaining, this is a daring novel of passion, loss, courage -- and of the sometimes terrible tolls exacted from us just to stay alive. You will never forget this Winter's tale.
Review
The New Yorker Winter is nasty, spoiled, and almost unbelievably libidinous, and it's ample evidence of the author's talent that she is also deeply sympathetic.
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Black Issues Book Review Souljah adds a new voice to the most marginalized of the marginalized.
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The Source Sometimes the stuggle has to be repackaged to get a point across. Sister Souljah, one of hip-hop's perennial forces and a self-described "raptivist," does this with her first novel....The Coldest Winter Ever is a platform for this resourceful young activist to spread messages that are clear, concise, and true to the game.
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Jada Pinkett Smith I think she is an important voice in American literature, and I find her work spiritually rewarding and powerful.
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Sean "P. Diddy" Combs Sister Souljah is the #1 author of the hip-hop generation.
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"Compelling...tugs at the emotions."
-- Chicago Sun-Times
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"Real and raw.... If a rap song could be a novel, it might resemble the coldest winter ever."
-- Booklist
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"Real and raw."
-- Booklist
Review
Walter Mosley Souljah, an Emile Zola of the hip-hop generation, has written a naturalist novel of a world without redemption. Her story, like the cultures it exposes, is an unflinching eye at the truth.
Synopsis
In
The Coldest Winter Ever, internationally known author, activist, and hip-hop artist Sister Souljah brought the streets of New York to life in a powerful and unforgettable first novel. Beautifully written, raw, and authentic, this novel firmly established Sister Souljah as the mother of all contemporary urban literature and the author of the first classic of the genre.
I came busting into the world during one of New York's worst snowstorms, so my mother named me Winter.
Ghetto-born, Winter is the young, wealthy daughter of a prominent Brooklyn drug-dealing family. Quick-witted, sexy, and business-minded, this teenage female hustler knows and loves the streets like the curves of her own body. But when a cold wind blows her life in a direction she never expected, her street smarts and seductive skills are put to the test of a lifetime.
In this special gift edition, Sister Souljah shares her secret thoughts on creating the story that rocked ghettos worldwide and introduced all readers to the real ghetto experience. For the first time ever, readers will discover the answers to the continuous questions asked by her fans. Souljah discusses the symbolism behind characters like Midnight and Santiaga, as well as the many meanings of the story. Readers will also learn about Souljah's unique writing process and exactly what inspired her to pen the definitive novel of the hip-hop generation. In her own voice, Souljah will share why this novel is truly a story of our time.
About the Author
Sister Souljah, born and raised in New York, is a graduate of Rutgers University. A hip-hop star, she is best known for her work as a political activist and educator of underclass urban youth. Currently, Souljah is the Executive Director of Daddy's House Social Programs, Sean Puffy Combs' not-for-profit company for children. A frequent guest on television's most popular talk and news shows, Sister Souljah is a loved personality in her own community and was a featured speaker for the Million Woman March. She lives with her husband and son in New York City.