BOOK 62

COLDEST WINTER EVER

• by Sister Souljah
• [rated by PBS viewers as #98]
• 384 pages

Wow. The power of a unique voice. All of us who write hope for them, but truly unique?

Here is a book that I picked up, read the first page and found that I just couldn’t look away.

DONE.

From the start, the protagonist’s voice was indeed unique and mesmerizing. Winter is the daughter of a very successful drug kingpin in Brooklyn. She is the envy of all her neighborhood, with virtually every one she knows being obligated to her family and working on her father’s payroll. The money being poured her young way is endless.

Then, in what was a huge multi-yeared sting, the drug ring is taken down, virtually overnight. Her father goes to jail for many years to come, her mother goes crazy and becomes a crackhead on the streets and Winter is forced to figure out her way in life. Unfortunately, that way is fairly devoid of meaning, money being all she cares about. People who try to help her are tools for her to steal from, either money or their boyfriends.

Winter is both fierce and hard not to hope for, as the people who meet her find as well. In fact, what keeps you turning pages is hoping that she will see the error of her ways. But does she?

I wanted to have her realize things but instead, life just happens to her. That is the lesson. And though it isn’t nearly as satisfying, I suppose it is also more realistic.

She is eventually punished by life and all of those she has done wrong to, but with nary the illuminating lesson learned.

If it weren’t for this blog, there were definite moments that I would probably have dropped the book. I didn’t care quite enough about her to root for her. Hey, I can root for just about anybody for just about 15 minutes, but a full book? Harder.

But she is unapologetic about who she is. She is strident and she tosses those she cares about to the curb in search of a higher lifestyle that would allow her to not have to think about any of this. Not exactly noble, but it rings strident and true.

I have to add that, for the first time in ages, I read the second half of the book in one sitting. That says a lot to me, even if I can’t tell you why.

Perhaps one of the most interesting aspects of this novel is that it was written by real life political activist and hip hop artist, Sister Souljah. She shows up in the book, first as someone that Winter hates to hear on the radio, talking about values she can’t really understand. Later, Winter is forced to meet her and then steals from her.

Even though she allows herself to show up as the moral high ground, I have never really seen an author put themselves into a book in a supporting role where she actually ends up as a victim of sorts.

All of my words aside, I have deep respect for Souljah’s writing. When she shows that Winter, with her upbringing and skewed values, doesn’t see a lot of choices for herself, that is an insight that needs to come to our attention.

I found myself thinking of what I would do to get out of the scrapes she was in, but she knows nothing of those choices and was never taught them. She represents a deeply unheard from segment of the population that we would do well not to judge without walking a mile in their shoes. This book takes one that mile.

And also, the writing is like a bat out of hell! One of the reviews in front says that if a rap song could be a novel, it might resemble this. It is a novel of great worth.

Might be interesting to listen to audible for this. The speaker would have to be mighty, cuz with this book, the voice is huge.