Last Summer on State Street

Reviews

Last Summer on State Street is a beautifully observed portrait of family and female friendship. Toya Wolfe is a marvellous writer. Tragic, hopeful, brimming with love, Wolfe's debut is a remarkable achievement. 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. 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. Last Summer on State Street is a love letter to girlhood, the tenuous bonds of friendship, and the places we call home. Wolfe's arresting and atmospheric narrative comes fully realized. This is a gut punch. First-time novelist Wolfe writes with lacerating precision and authenticity. Wolfe's deeply compelling characters, sharply wrought settings, and tightly choreographed plot create a concentrated, significant, and unforgettable tale of family, home, racism, trauma, compassion, and transcendence. LAST SUMMER ON STATE STREET is an astonishing debut, and Toya Wolfe is a remarkable talent. The novel is a hymn to girlhood, a loving and nuanced portrait of a place and a clear-eyed dissection of brutal social forces that catch Fe Fe, Tonya, Stacia and Precious in their crossfire. Wolfe's prose is rich, elegant and assured - a joy to read. 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. Expand reviews