Sister Souljah - Midnight and the Meaning of Love

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Praise for New York Times bestselling author Sister Souljah and her unforgettable novels

Midnight and The Meaning of Love

Before there was a Shannon Holmes, a Vickie Stringer, or a Wahida Clark, there was a woman many consider the Queen of Urban Fiction, Sister Souljah.

Essence

The story weaves back and forth from the subways of NYC to overseas in a thrilling adventure with an incredible ending and a wrenching tale of love. This one delivers on all promises. Souljah has done it again.

Ebony

Sister Souljahs best storytelling yet. It is amazingly written, smart, erotic, and still street enough for her fans from Brooklyn to Compton, London to Cairo, So Paulo to Johannesburg to enjoy and devour. There is no character in American literature like Midnight. There is no other novel like this one.

BlackAmericaWeb.com

Sister Souljah erases any doubt: She is a writer without peer.

EURweb

Sister Souljah weaves a story of love, redemption, revenge, and success with such force that it is nearly impossible to put the book down.

NewsOne

Souljahs storytelling is so compelling and vivid that you can hear the vinyl beat of Eric B. & Rakims Eric B. Is President playing in your mind as you read the opening pages. Simply put, Midnight and The Meaning of Love is a love story that will challenge what you think you know about cultures, people, and places.

InkBlot Book Review

Souljah knows how to keep you guessing and turning the page, and her latest offering is no exception.

Soul Train

Midnight

A vibrant, engaging novel.

The Washington Post

The story is sparkly and seductive from the jump.

Vibe

Sister Souljah is the literary hero of the hip-hop generation.

Chicago Tribune

Fans will enjoy this edgy tale of love and survival led by the provocative lead character.

Ebony

Shows the true grit of the New York boroughs, the strength and determination of an immigrant family and how, even in a concrete jungle, a rose can bloom.

Star Tribune (Minneapolis)

Souljahs sensitive treatment of her protagonist is honest and affecting, with some realistic moments of crisis. [She] has obvious talent and sincere motives.

Publishers Weekly

Hip-hop artist and master storyteller Souljah offers biting social critique on contemporary urban culture tucked inside a love story.

Vanessa Bush

The Coldest Winter Ever

The Coldest Winter Ever is a tour de force. As finely tuned to its heroines voice as Alice Walkers The Color Purple . Riveting stuff, with language so frank it curls your hair.

Kirkus Reviews

Winter is nasty, spoiled, and almost unbelievably libidinous, and its ample evidence of the authors talent that she is also deeply sympathetic.

The New Yorker

Intriguing. Sister Souljah exhibits a raw and true voice in this cautionary tale. A realistic coming-of-age story.

Publishers Weekly

Real and raw. If a rap song could be a novel, it might resemble Sister Souljahs book. The message is solid and one that we can never stop preaching to our youthanything that comes too easy or too fast is also too risky.

Booklist

Souljah adds a new voice to the most marginalized of the marginalized.

Black Issues Book Review

Winter is as tough as a hollow-point bullet. Her voice is the books greatest strength.

Salon.com

Also by Sister Souljah

No Disrespect

The Coldest Winter Ever

Midnight: A Gangster Love Story

Washington Square Press
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New York, NY 10020
www.SimonandSchuster.com

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the authors imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

Copyright 2011 by Souljah Story, Inc.

All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever. For information address Atria Books Subsidiary Rights Department, 1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020.

First Washington Square Press trade paperback edition October 2011

WASHINGTON SQUARE PRESS and colophon are registered trademarks of Simon & Schuster, Inc.

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Manufactured in the United States of America

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

The Library of Congress has cataloged the hardcover edition as follows:

Souljah, Sister.

Midnight and the meaning of love / by Sister Souljah.1st Atria Books hardcover ed.

p. cm.

1. African AmericansFiction. 2. Urban fiction. I. Title.

PS3569.O7374M55 2011

813.54dc22 2011005717

ISBN 978-1-4391-6535-5

ISBN 978-1-4391-6536-2 (pbk)

ISBN 978-1-4516-3742-7 (ebook)

Show Love

Love is a powerful emotion propelled by energy, thought, and action. It can change you and anyone around you who you love. Love needs no announcement, it is visible in the eyes and body and deeds of everyone who loves. If you cannot see love through action, it is not love. Its something else

If an elder loves you, she and he and they will prepare you to do well in life.

If an elder abuses you, confuses you, misuses you, its wrong and it is certainly not love.

Elders who do not love lose their authority and influence over you because they are corrupt and unable.

It is an elders job to share wisdom and not conceal it, destroy it, deny it, or distract you from it.

Here are my jewels to you, the young all around the world in any and every place no matter the faith or politic.

You are not too young to love.

Intelligence is the ability to solve problems.

Wisdom is experience along with intelligence.

Ignorance is not knowing better.

Evil is knowing better but doing wrong anyway, while influencing others to do the same.

Vanity is uselessness.

A nigger is any person of any race who refuses to learn, grow, and change.

Arrogance is thinking and acting like you are better than others without true or good reason.

Look toward GOD, above every elder, and even your parents and all of your community. GOD is first, the MAKER of your soul in every religion and in every corner of the world. GOD is the reason for you and I to be humble and live respectfully. GOD is love.