Last Summer on State Street

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For fans of Jacqueline Woodson and Brit Bennett, this striking coming-of-age debut delves into friendship, community, and resilience in the Chicago housing projects during a transformative summer. Felicia "Fe Fe" Stevens lives with her loving mother and older brother in building 4950 of the Robert Taylor Homes, facing the impending demolition of their home in the summer of 1999. Alongside her friends Precious Brown and Stacia Buchanan, Fe Fe enjoys a fleeting innocence marked by Double Dutch games. However, the arrival of a new friend, Tonya, disrupts their dynamic, leading to upheaval in their lives and relationships. As their neighborhood deteriorates, Fe Fe grapples with trust and the painful choices of who to hold close and who to let go. Years later, she reflects on that pivotal summer, confronting the grief and complex bonds that linger, while seeking to reclaim the love that remains. This profound and uplifting narrative explores the risks of connection amid systemic racism, the healing power of embracing one’s past, and the relationships that shape our existence. Through moments of reckoning and grace, debut author Toya Wolfe crafts an era-defining story about finding a home within one’s history and self.