The Coldest Winter Ever
Encyclopedia
The Coldest Winter Ever is a best-selling 1999 novel written by MC and activist Sister Souljah
.
's worst snowstorms), the rebellious, pampered teenage daughter of a notorious drug dealer. Ricky Santiaga, Winter's father, has attained substantial wealth through his illegal drug empire and lavishes his wife, Winter, and Winter's three younger sisters, Porsche
, Lexus
, and Mercedes
, with the best things money can (and cannot) buy. Unknown to her father, Winter uses her hustling tricks to get whatever she wants. Winter's world is turned upside down on her 16th birthday, when her father suddenly decides to relocate his family and his growing business to Long Island, but she is determined not to sever ties with the old neighborhood.
Her life spirals downard when her mother is shot in the face by foes of her father. Shortly afterward, the FBI
arrives at the Santiaga mansion while Winter is at a party, seizes the family's possessions, and sends the drug lord to prison
. At this juncture, Winter's sisters are placed in child custody
, rather than in their unemployed mother's custody. Winter escapes by pretending to not be her parents’ daughter. Winter stays with a man just for his money for a while, but when his girlfriend comes back, Winter goes to live with an aunt. While with the Aunt, Winter's location is revealed, and she is turned over to the Bureau of Child Welfare. Winter's location was probably divulged by Natalie, a former friend of Winter's, who suspected that Winter was trying to date her boyfriend. While visiting her father in jail, she finds out that he had an infant son and was cheating on her mother, which tears her apart. Also, her father murdered someone while in jail.
After being taken out of her aunt’s home, Winter starts living at the House of Success, a group home
for teenage girls. Her new surroundings do not stop her from hustling: she makes money by selling clothes and cigarettes to her housemates, and she does their hair. Winter obtains the goods she sells from her friend Simone, who is a booster
who steals designer clothes for her. Winter continues making money this way until Simone is arrested. Winter does not bail out now-pregnant Simone, but Simone gets out another way. Upon her release, Simone gathers some friends to wait so that they can beat up Winter. Winter escapes the beating by running and never returns. Then Simone falls and has a miscarriage. Rashida, one of Winter's House of Success housemates, thinks that Winter needs help and persuades her to go to a friend's house. Winter doesn't know that the friend is Sister Souljah
, whom Winter boldly stated she never liked in the book's introduction. Under Souljah's tutelage, Winter volunteers at a benefit for people with HIV
/AIDS
, but Winter still does whatever she can to get money. Winter steals money from the AIDS benefit and rushes home to pack. Suspicious of Winter leaving, Lauren, Souljah's sister, switches the bag into which Winter has put her prized belongings. Winter takes a cab to a New Jersey hotel, and realizes that she has no money, no jewels, and no protection.
Winter hooks up with an old boyfriend named Bullet, who has money. She finds out that she is pregnant with the baby of a man who tricked her into believing he was hip-hop MC GS. Months later, Winter's world crashes again when she is attacked in a car by Simone. A crowd gathers to watch the fight, and Winter loses focus when she sees Bullet cause the crowd to disperse by waving a gun in the air. Once Winter looks away, Simone slashes her across the face with a broken bottle. Winter is led back to the car by Bullet and, shortly afterward, the police arrive. Bullet leaves Winter, who gets a mandatory 15-year prison sentence for transporting drugs in his rental car.
Soon, her old friends Natalie and Simone join her in prison, and her younger sister eventually becomes just like her. The ending surprises: after her father was jailed, Winter talked about being let out of prison to attend her mother’s funeral.
, was published November 4, 2008, by Atria/Simon & Schuster
.
was developing a film based on the book and was going to serve as its executive producer. Smith and Souljah have been trying to bring the novel to the screen since 2005. At one time, they had a deal with HBO Pictures, but it fell through. According to Souljah’s Web site, the rights of the novel are still available for purchase—with Smith’s approval.
Sister Souljah
Sister Souljah is an American hip hop-generation author, activist, recording artist, and film producer. She gained prominence for Bill Clinton's criticism of her remarks about race in the United States during the 1992 presidential campaign...
.
Plot summary
Set in the projects of Brooklyn, New York, The Coldest Winter Ever is the story of Winter Santiaga (aptly named because she was born during one of New YorkNew York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
's worst snowstorms), the rebellious, pampered teenage daughter of a notorious drug dealer. Ricky Santiaga, Winter's father, has attained substantial wealth through his illegal drug empire and lavishes his wife, Winter, and Winter's three younger sisters, Porsche
Porsche
Porsche Automobil Holding SE, usually shortened to Porsche SE a Societas Europaea or European Public Company, is a German based holding company with investments in the automotive industry....
, Lexus
Lexus
is the luxury vehicle division of Japanese automaker Toyota Motor Corporation. First introduced in 1989 in the United States, Lexus is now sold globally and has become Japan's largest-selling make of premium cars. The Lexus marque is marketed in over 70 countries and territories worldwide, and has...
, and Mercedes
Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz is a German manufacturer of automobiles, buses, coaches, and trucks. Mercedes-Benz is a division of its parent company, Daimler AG...
, with the best things money can (and cannot) buy. Unknown to her father, Winter uses her hustling tricks to get whatever she wants. Winter's world is turned upside down on her 16th birthday, when her father suddenly decides to relocate his family and his growing business to Long Island, but she is determined not to sever ties with the old neighborhood.
Her life spirals downard when her mother is shot in the face by foes of her father. Shortly afterward, the FBI
Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency . The FBI has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime...
arrives at the Santiaga mansion while Winter is at a party, seizes the family's possessions, and sends the drug lord to prison
Prison
A prison is a place in which people are physically confined and, usually, deprived of a range of personal freedoms. Imprisonment or incarceration is a legal penalty that may be imposed by the state for the commission of a crime...
. At this juncture, Winter's sisters are placed in child custody
Child custody
Child custody and guardianship are legal terms which are used to describe the legal and practical relationship between a parent and his or her child, such as the right of the parent to make decisions for the child, and the parent's duty to care for the child.Following ratification of the United...
, rather than in their unemployed mother's custody. Winter escapes by pretending to not be her parents’ daughter. Winter stays with a man just for his money for a while, but when his girlfriend comes back, Winter goes to live with an aunt. While with the Aunt, Winter's location is revealed, and she is turned over to the Bureau of Child Welfare. Winter's location was probably divulged by Natalie, a former friend of Winter's, who suspected that Winter was trying to date her boyfriend. While visiting her father in jail, she finds out that he had an infant son and was cheating on her mother, which tears her apart. Also, her father murdered someone while in jail.
After being taken out of her aunt’s home, Winter starts living at the House of Success, a group home
Group home
A group home is a private residence designed or converted to serve as a non-secure home for unrelated persons who share a common characteristic.-Types of group homes:...
for teenage girls. Her new surroundings do not stop her from hustling: she makes money by selling clothes and cigarettes to her housemates, and she does their hair. Winter obtains the goods she sells from her friend Simone, who is a booster
Booster
Booster may refer to:In science and technology:* Booster , a motor-generator set used for voltage regulation in direct current electrical power circuits...
who steals designer clothes for her. Winter continues making money this way until Simone is arrested. Winter does not bail out now-pregnant Simone, but Simone gets out another way. Upon her release, Simone gathers some friends to wait so that they can beat up Winter. Winter escapes the beating by running and never returns. Then Simone falls and has a miscarriage. Rashida, one of Winter's House of Success housemates, thinks that Winter needs help and persuades her to go to a friend's house. Winter doesn't know that the friend is Sister Souljah
Sister Souljah
Sister Souljah is an American hip hop-generation author, activist, recording artist, and film producer. She gained prominence for Bill Clinton's criticism of her remarks about race in the United States during the 1992 presidential campaign...
, whom Winter boldly stated she never liked in the book's introduction. Under Souljah's tutelage, Winter volunteers at a benefit for people with HIV
HIV
Human immunodeficiency virus is a lentivirus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome , a condition in humans in which progressive failure of the immune system allows life-threatening opportunistic infections and cancers to thrive...
/AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
, but Winter still does whatever she can to get money. Winter steals money from the AIDS benefit and rushes home to pack. Suspicious of Winter leaving, Lauren, Souljah's sister, switches the bag into which Winter has put her prized belongings. Winter takes a cab to a New Jersey hotel, and realizes that she has no money, no jewels, and no protection.
Winter hooks up with an old boyfriend named Bullet, who has money. She finds out that she is pregnant with the baby of a man who tricked her into believing he was hip-hop MC GS. Months later, Winter's world crashes again when she is attacked in a car by Simone. A crowd gathers to watch the fight, and Winter loses focus when she sees Bullet cause the crowd to disperse by waving a gun in the air. Once Winter looks away, Simone slashes her across the face with a broken bottle. Winter is led back to the car by Bullet and, shortly afterward, the police arrive. Bullet leaves Winter, who gets a mandatory 15-year prison sentence for transporting drugs in his rental car.
Soon, her old friends Natalie and Simone join her in prison, and her younger sister eventually becomes just like her. The ending surprises: after her father was jailed, Winter talked about being let out of prison to attend her mother’s funeral.
Prequel
A prequel, titled Midnight: A Gangster Love StoryMidnight: A Gangster Love Story
Midnight: A Gangster Love Story originally scheduled to be published October 14, 2008, is a novel by Sister Souljah that was published November 4, 2008, by Atria/Simon and Schuster. It is a prequel of The Coldest Winter Ever , the novel that spawned the contemporary street literature movement...
, was published November 4, 2008, by Atria/Simon & Schuster
Simon & Schuster
Simon & Schuster, Inc., a division of CBS Corporation, is a publisher founded in New York City in 1924 by Richard L. Simon and M. Lincoln Schuster. It is one of the four largest English-language publishers, alongside Random House, Penguin and HarperCollins...
.
Movie rights
According to the May 2008 issue of Vibe Magazine, Jada Pinkett SmithJada Pinkett Smith
Jada Koren Pinkett Smith is an American actress, producer, director, author, singer-songwriter, and businesswoman. She began her career in 1990, when she made a guest appearance in the short-lived sitcom True Colors. She starred in A Different World, produced by Bill Cosby, and she featured...
was developing a film based on the book and was going to serve as its executive producer. Smith and Souljah have been trying to bring the novel to the screen since 2005. At one time, they had a deal with HBO Pictures, but it fell through. According to Souljah’s Web site, the rights of the novel are still available for purchase—with Smith’s approval.