"Midnight" is Sister Souljah's prequel to the very popular, "Coldest Winter Ever." Our protagonist and the book's names sake arrives in New York City at age 7, having previously lived a lavish lifestyle in Sudan. Fleeing political upheaval in the Sudan, Midnight and his pregnant mother Umma move into a public housing project in Brooklyn where they are forced to adapt to life in the United States and life on the rough and tumble streets of Brooklyn. Midnight does this easily, in fact, in some ways Midnight thrives in this environment as he quickly helps his mother start a very successful design business. Souljah makes it clear that another part of Midnight's success is his ability to play the game without being played by it. Midnight knows that he must wear the right clothes, play the best ball, and impress the right people. The novel is strongest when conveying Midnight's intense inner discipline in the face of chaotic and destructive outside forces. This is a compelling novel with sharp dialoge and an eye for detail.
This book is available at the MB Tolson Black Heritage Center, call number BHC 813.54 So722m.
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