The Coldest Winter Ever
Considered a preeminent novel of contemporary urban fiction, THE COLDEST WINTER EVER is a cautionary tale of urban Americana in Ghetto USA. Set in Brooklyn, New York, the story is predominantly about its main character, a pop cultured cut black girl named Winter Santiaga, the teenaged daughter of a local d r u g kingpin. Winter is brash and self-important; she says, "it was important for me to know I deserved the best, no slum jewelry or knock-offs". The story is told from her perspective in slang that is highly influenced by the hip-hop culture. Due to the power of her father, Winter is infamous in her neighborhood, and she uses her power to get what she wants. This all changes when Winter's father is arrested for d r u g t r a f f i c k i n g, and Winter finds herself in a girls’ home. Winter takes up the skills she learned from her father to maintain her lifestyle, such as selling illicit items in the girls’ home to make money. THE COLDEST WINTER EVER sold millions of physical copies and is the first of a three book trilogy.