The Coldest Winter Ever by Sister Souljah

Overview


Winter Santiaga is the self proclaimed “baddest” chick in Brooklyn. She is the voice of this powerful novel in which she is the daughter of one of the biggest drug dealers in New York City. Accustomed to a life of luxury Winter and her three sisters Lexus, Mercedes, and Porsche have never really had to struggle in the mean streets.

Troubles seem unheard of in a life of big name designers, bags, shoes, and accessories any young girl would die for, but the Santiaga family’s life turns upside down after her father, their rock, is arrested and their money and belongings are taken by the government.

Winter’s younger sisters are sent out into foster homes, their mother sells her soul to drugs, and winter is left to weather the storm. Throughout her trials and tribulations on the street she becomes infatuated with Midnight, her father’s young “right-hand” man. It is through Midnight that Winter discovers Sister Souljah and her messages of love and embrace. It takes some life altering experiences for Winter to realize she may have chosen the wrong road. She finds herself following a little too closely in her father’s footsteps and recognizes that the shoes she was trying to fill were a bit too big.



About the Author

Sister Souljah is a native of the Bronx, New York. She was born and raised in the projects and has come a long way to the top. She attended Rutger’s University where she earned a degree in American History and African American Studies. Sister Souljah was also a student at Cornell University, and an abroad student at the University of Salamanca in Europe.

Sister Souljah is a devoted traveler and traveled a great deal throughout her college career. She has been to England, France, Spain, Portugal, Finland, and Russia. She was also extremely dedicated to helping others. She volunteered a great deal of her time and was a very important participant in the international student anti-apartheid movement. She was part of a huge moment in history contributing greatly to a movement which helped to free Nelson Mandela. Souljah was also community activist who spoke out against crimes that were racially motivated, police brutality, racism, prejudice, and the miseducation of urban young people. She conducted rallies in New York City, primarily in Harlem.

Sister Souljah has been the voice of change for quite some time. She has been seen the entertainment businesses many faces and has had some breath taking experiences. She has spoken to people across New York about politics, race, culture, social organization and many other social issues. She has appeared on many well known television shows such as Larry King Live and Oprah. She not only is the author of The Coldest Winter Ever, but to the sequel, Midnight, A Gangster Love Story, and her non-fiction best seller No Disrespect.

Many dedicated fans are awaiting the release of her movie, The Coldest Winter Ever, and a follow up novel reconnecting the world with the Santiaga family.





Classroom Applications

The Coldest Winter Ever is the perfect novel to introduce high school students to street fiction. Depending on the population of students where the novel is used reading it can create an array of reactions.

Using this novel for a genre study of street fiction would be extremely effective. Students will be able to connect to the novel on a realistic level and in many cases may share many similar experiences to the characters.

This novel would also be useful to use in the classroom to explore perspectives and point of view. The novel is written from a distinct point of view and it may be essential to explore point of view and voice in literature while reading this. This is also a beneficial time to discuss fan fiction and have students create their own fan fiction pieces.

Another way to use this novel in the classroom would be to use it with a group of other texts, in a text set. You can pair The coldest Winter Ever with other pieces of urban literature such as Nikki Grimes, Bronx Masquerade, Sapphires, Push, and other pieces of urban literature.

Allowing students to explore street fiction through independent reading is also an option for using this text in the classroom. Giving student’s choice in reading selection is always crucial to engagement. Reading materials that are similar to their struggles and experiences can be life altering and motivating for students.





Essential Questions

• What role do family relationships play in the novel? Why do you think Sister Souljah creates this type of family situation for the Santiaga’s? What can adolescent readers learn about the meaning and importance of family from the strong theme of family demonstrated in the novel?

• How and what does Mrs. Santiaga’s surrender to drugs after the collapse of her husband’s “dynasty” demonstrate about the gender roles in the urban culture and the power and control of money?

• Sister Souljah allows readers to recognize the glorified aspect of being a drug dealer, but also the downfalls of becoming powerful and successful in a dangerous business. Why do you think she does this? What does she want readers to learn from Santiaga and the lifestyle of the boys in the streets?

• How does Sister Souljah portray identity through the roles of the male and female characters? What does this say about how each construct their own identity? And how would reading this novel help students understand the importance of identity construction and exploration?




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Awesome example of way to use this novel in the classroom!



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