In the summer of 1999, Felicia “Fe Fe” Stevens lives in the crumbling Robert Taylor Homes of Chicago, just one building away from demolition. With her tight-knit crew—devout Precious, tough Stacia, and the mysterious newcomer Tonya—Fe Fe navigates girlhood, Double Dutch, and danger in a world where safety is fleeting.
But as their friendships unravel and families fracture, Fe Fe is forced to confront betrayal, grief, and the painful truths that come with growing up. Decades later, haunted by that fateful summer, she returns to the rubble of her past, seeking peace in the memories and people she’s never fully let go.
Toya Wolfe’s Last Summer on State Street is a luminous coming-of-age debut—honest, heartbreaking, and fiercely hopeful. A PEN Open Book finalist and an instant modern classic.
