The Coldest Winter Ever

by Sister Souljah

  Cameron One of Lauren’s boyfriends. Lauren stayed a couple of nights with him after the infamous after party for GS. Winter had to fill in as Souljah’s office help during Lauren’s absence.

  Captain Chulla The Brooklyn police captain who was on Santiaga’s payroll. He kept the officers “looking the other way while Santiaga ran his drugs through the hood.”

  Chanté The Brooklyn neighborhood girl who taught the young Winter and her female friends all of the sexual positions. She also let Winter and her girls watch while she had sex with boys and men.

  Claudette The girl in the House of Success group home who, according to Winter, needed the most help with improving her appearance and overall style. She was Winter’s guinea pig and first customer in her clothing and makeover business at The House of Success group home.

  Doc A Brooklyn resident and war veteran with limited medical experience. Santiaga used him to give medical services to people whom he couldn’t risk sending to the hospital, tipping off the police and causing the authorities to raise questions. Doc was not a real doctor.

  Doc The medical doctor and surgeon who was Souljah’s landlord. She owned and resided on the first two floors of her Harlem brown-stone. Souljah lived on the top floor.

  Driguez One of Santiaga’s men.

  Dulce Tristemente Santiaga’s other woman. She gave birth to Santiaga’s first and only son that we know of. She visited Santiaga in jail on the same day and time as Mrs. Santiaga, causing Mrs. Santiaga’s emotional and psychological downfall.

  Earline The operator and owner of the beauty salon where Winter and her mom got preferential treatment when getting their hair done.

  Frankie The rap star GS’s bodyguard. He’s the one who invited Winter and Lauren to the celebrity after-party held in Alpine, New Jersey.

  Granny Bullet’s grandmother. She was a compulsiver gambler.

  Ms. Griswaldi The Bureau of Child Welfare worker who arrived at Aunt’s B’s apartment with the sheriff. They picked Winter up by force and placed her into the House of Success group home.

  Iris One of the girls who swapped guns, drugs, and money with Winter in the ladies bathroom at Houston’s restaurant in New York City. She took Winter’s pocketbook and gave Winter hers. She was working for Bryce. Winter was working for Bullet. However, Winter didn’t realize what was going on.

  Izzy The Macy’s department store security guard who sexually molested Winter in the back office of the store after accusing her of being suspicious.

  Jacob The first boy Natalie ever had sex with. He was a twin. Winter lost her virginity to his brother.

  Jamal The first boy Winter had sex with at age twelve. He was a twin. Natalie had sex with his brother at the same time.

  Judy Sterling’s overweight girlfriend. She packed Winter’s clothes and moved her out of his house. Winter was sleeping with Sterling, while posing as his cousin.

  Kathy Johnson The psychologist at The House of Success who attempted to help Winter Santiaga.

  Kim One of the young ladies who attended Souljah’s womanhood courses.

  KK The little three-year-old girl, who Bullet mentioned was beheaded by the Young Heads in the takeover of Santiaga’s Brooklyn drug business.

  Lance The bully who attempted to rape Midnight’s little sister. Midnight murdered him and was incarcerated for five years for manslaughter.

  Lashay The “middleman” in Winter’s clothing and makeover enterprise at The House of Success. She picked up the stolen goods for Winter to resell to the group home girls. Winter used her while she was on restriction at the House of Success and forbidden to go outside.

  Lauren Sister Souljah’s sister. She lived in the brownstone with Souljah. She became “friends” with Winter.

  Lexus Known as Lexy, she’s Winter’s baby sister. She is a twin.

  Little Biz Simone’s baby’s daddy. They broke up, and the unborn baby died during Simone’s attack on Winter at the group home.

  Little Nickel Tasia’s boyfriend after Midnight, according to Natalie.

  LX A celebrated rapper who gave the party along with GS at the Palladium. Winter went to the party and the after-party with Lauren. She ended up competing in a “beauty pageant.”

  Magdalena The Santiaga family’s housekeeper in Long Island.

  Mercedes Winter’s baby sister, Lexus’ twin.

  Midnight Winter’s fantasy man and Santiaga’s lieutenant in the drug empire. He secured Santiaga’s daughters at different points throughout the novel. He also had a friendly relationship with Sister Souljah, which inspired him to evolve as a man.

  Monique One of Winter’s childhood girlfriends in Brooklyn. She was there when the girls slicked up their faces, braided down their hair, and went to fight some other girls in the neighborhood.

  Moose One of Bullet’s soldiers.

  Natalie Winter’s best friend. She lived in Brooklyn in the building directly across from Winter. She was the main girl that Winter kept up with after the family moved out of Brooklyn.

  Nique Winter’s childhood friend in Brooklyn who was being raped by her own mother’s boyfriend. The mother pushed Nique off the roof, killing her.

  Noni One of the group home girls at the House of Success. She was the defiant cigarette smoker with the curtain around her bed.

  Patches The father of the baby Bullet thought was his own. He was famous for a mole on his face, as well as for giving girls stimulating oral sex.

  Phoenix The stripper who spoke up for herself at Souljah’s womanhood class.

  Pizzaz One of Santiaga’s men.

  Rashida The group-home girl who genuinely cared about Winter. She protected Winter when she was attacked, by letting her know what was happening on the inside of the House of Success. She also introduced Winter to Souljah so that Winter would have a place to live temporarily.

  Reese One of Winter’s Brooklyn girlfriends.

  Ricky Jr. The infant son of Ricky Santiaga and Dulce Tristemente.

  Ricky Santiaga The father of Winter, Porsche, Mercedes, Lexus, and Ricky Jr. He built a drug-dealing empire in a Brooklyn neighborhood.

  Sarge One of Lauren’s men. He was in the army. He went on a double date with Winter, Boom, and Lauren.

  Saria Bullet’s ex-girlfriend whom he loved and cared for. She betrayed him, and led him to believe he was the father of her child. Bullet bankrolled her and bought a lot of baby gifts, only to be shocked at the real paternity of the newborn.

  Sasha This is the name Winter made up for herself. She told Souljah that her true friends called her Sasha. While living with Souljah, everyone knew Winter as Sasha and called her by that name.

  Simone One of Winter’s girlfriends in Brooklyn. She became a clothing booster. Winter went into business with her while she was held at The House of Success group home. Simone was incarcerated while stealing clothes for Winter, and called Winter for help. Winter hung up on her. A pregnant Simone plus some friends attacked Winter at the group home, and Simone lost her unborn baby during the attack.

  Slick Kid A friend of Bullet’s. Slick Kid made the videotape of Winter, Natalie, and Bullet naked in the hot tub at the Marriott Hotel. He then showed the tape at Santiaga’s spot, Big Moe’s, and was beaten by Midnight.

  Sonya The mother of KK and Butter, the three-and four-year-olds from Brooklyn who were murdered and beheaded by the Young Heads.

  Souljah The Harlem-based activist who graduated from college and returns to the community to assist in the development, progress, and empowerment of the black community. Rashida brought Winter to live at Souljah’s house after Winter was attacked at the group home. Throughout the novel, Souljah is fighting what appears to be a losing battle to bring cultural knowledge and positive lifestyles to the ghetto youth, men, and women.

  Tashay One of the young ladies who spoke up in Souljah’s womanhood course.

  Tasia The Brooklyn girl who moved into the neighborhood after Winter moved out. She was rumored to have been dating Midnight.

  Tiffany One of th
e two girls who swapped guns, drugs, and money with Winter in the ladies bathroom at Houston’s restaurant in New York City. She was working for Bryce. Winter was working for Bullet but did not realize it.

  Tony One of GS’s bodyguards. He pretended to be GS one night in a rented mansion and had sex with Winter Santiaga, who believed he was the superstar. He was later murdered by one of Bullet’s soldiers.

  Toshi One of Winter’s Brooklyn girlfriends. She was the cause of the big fight that Winter and her crew ended up avoiding because the neighborhood girls were afraid to fight Santiaga’s daughter.

  Vanessa The name of Winter’s imaginary Long Island–based college girlfriend. Winter pretended to go to a sorority party with Vanessa at Hofstra University. She was actually out with Natalie, Slick Kid, and Bullet.

  Vega One of Santiaga’s men.

  Will Natalie’s drug-dealer boyfriend who triggered a dangerous beef between Winter and Natalie. Winter wanted to use him to get into the drug game.

  Winter Santiaga The protagonist of The Coldest Winter Ever. She is a Brooklyn ghetto girl who shares her story from ages thirteen through twenty-five.

  Young Heads The up-and-coming drug gang. They are very young and ruthless. Their feud with Santiaga for control over drug territory is financed by the police.

  YOU CAN GET IN TOUCH WITH SISTER SOULJAH:

  Web site: sistersouljah.com

  e-mail: sistersouljah@sistahsouljah.com

  phone: 917-709-6664

  Mailing address: 208 E. 51st Street, suite 2270 NY, NY 10022