Author: Sister Souljah
Title: The Coldest Winter Ever
Genre: Urban Fiction
Publication Date: 1999
346 Pages
Setting: New York City
Synopsis:
Winter Santiaga is the daughter of one of a successful, very rich drug
lord in Brooklyn. She spends her
childhood in Brooklyn in the projects.
Her father lavishes expensive jewelry and clothes on Winter and her
mother and her mother teaches Winter how to be a “bad bitch” whose full time
job is being beautiful and controls men with her looks. Winter’s mother had her when she was 14 and
treats Winter more like a friend than a mother, unlike Winter’s 3 much younger
sisters. On Winter’s 16th
birthday, Winter’s father Santiaga gives Winter a diamond tennis bracelet and announces
he has bought them a mansion on Long Island. The family moves out to Long Island where
Winter and her mother are very isolated and they are going stir crazy.
Not long after moving to Long Island, things fall apart. First, Winter’s mother is shot in the face. Then, their home is raided and Santiaga is
arrested. All of their property is
seized and Winter’s three sisters are taken by the state. Winter’s mother is arrested and released and
develops a crack habit. Winter is
homeless but spends the little money she has on expensive clothes and even
hires a limo to take her to a concert.
Things continue on a downward spiral, Winter moves in with her aunt and
then is picked up as a ward of the state herself. She winds up staying with Sister Souljah
(yes, the author has made herself a character in the novel) and then leaves her
to follow after a rapper. Throughout the
novel, Winter uses her relationships with men for gain, as she has been taught
to do by her mother. Winter winds up in
jail and the novel ends on a sad note.
The novel is full of violence, drugs and explicit sex. However, the characters are well developed
and it is an interesting if depressing portrayal of this life.
Characteristics of Genre:
Importance of Money: Money and
material objects are emphasized throughout the novel. Even when she is homeless, Winter spends
lavishly and is trying to get into the drug trade to further her expensive
lifestyle.
Women Sexually Abused: Winter is
sexually active at a very young age and as a teenager has relationships with grown
men in exchange for favors and gifts.
Overcoming poverty, Crime and Outrageous Acts of Violence: Santiaga’s status as a wealthy drug lord
involves all these themes.
Read-alikes:
Flyy Girl by Omar Tyree
Any Way the Wind Blows by E.
Lynn Harris
God Don’t Like Ugly by Mary
Monroe
I have not read any of Sister Souljah's books, but I have heard a lot about her. This sounds like a pretty heavy book dealing with weighty issues, making the characterization important. And it's very interesting that the author puts herself into the novel. I feel like there are a lot of layers of meaning with that - I wonder if she often puts herself in her novels?
ReplyDeleteI have not read any of Sister Souljah's books, but I have heard a lot about her. This sounds like a pretty heavy book dealing with weighty issues, making the characterization important. And it's very interesting that the author puts herself into the novel. I feel like there are a lot of layers of meaning with that - I wonder if she often puts herself in her novels?
ReplyDeleteSister Souljah is a favorite at my library, but I haven't read any of her books. It sounds so intense, and yet, it sounds like something a lot of us can relate to in different ways. I can related to the snowball downward spiral she seems to go on because that's all she knows. My circumstances may have been very different, but it sounds like I would be able to connect with her on that.
ReplyDeleteThanks for giving me a look into this novel that I've heard so much about. I'll have to check it out sometime.
I don't have a lot of exposure to urban fiction but this sounds like a very great drama. Great annotation I think you did a great job of picking out the themes in the book.
ReplyDeleteGreat Annotation! I feel like the drama is too much but this is what urban fiction is all about. I haven't read any of her books yet although I watched a interview of her on CNN years ago and have heard alot about her. Reading your annotation makes we want to read her titles.
ReplyDeleteTenisha M.