Description

State Street Chicago, 1999. One summer that changes everything.

An unlikely trio: Felicia ‘Fe Fe’ Stevens, daughter of fiercely protective mother; Precious Brown, daughter of a prominent church Elder; and Stacia Buchanan, daughter of a Gangster Disciple Queen-Pin.

They have a simple friendship, whiling away sunny days with games of Double Dutch. But when Fe Fe invites mysterious Tonya into their fold, life as they know it will never be the same again.

Last Summer on State Street is a profound coming-of-age story about the restorative power of community, the claiming of one’s own past, and the defining friendships which form the heartbeat of our lives.

Publisher Review

Last Summer on State Street is a beautifully observed portrait of family and female friendship. Toya Wolfe is a marvellous writer. * Audrey Niffenegger, New York Times bestselling author of The Time Traveler’s Wife * Tragic, hopeful, brimming with love, Wolfe’s debut is a remarkable achievement. * New York Times * Toya Wolfe is a storyteller of the highest order-a wise and compassionate chronicler of girlhood, of Chicago, and of the things that make us human. Last Summer on State Street is a stunning debut. * Rebecca Makkai, New York Times bestselling author of The Great Believers * Last Summer on State Street is an ode to Black girls who are often forgotten. Toya Wolfe tells a compelling, warm, and funny story about a group of girls growing up in a Chicago public housing development. * Natalie Y. Moore, author of The Billboard * I can’t stop thinking of Toya Wolfe’s novel Last Summer on State Street. Wolfe writes with such grace and such restraint, I felt like I was sitting on the front porch listening to a story told by a friend. What a spectacular debut. * Alex Kotlowitz, author of An American Summer *