Letters to a Young Sister

Letters to a Young Sister:
DeFINE Your Destiny
by Hill Harper

LETTERS TO A YOUNG SISTER by

Category:

Non-Fiction

Age Recommendation:

Grades 6+

Release Date: 6/3/08

Publisher: Gotham

Reviewed by:

Rating:

4 Stars

In his latest book, LETTERS TO A YOUNG SISTER, Harper answers to the other half of the population not spoken

to in

LETTERS TO A YOUNG BROTHER – young women. Though he was inspired by a comment from a young

woman of

color, this book reaches across cultural and racial differences to speak to young women about issues they

face growing up.

The narrator, Hill Harper himself, is writing to a hypothetical “young sistah,” a young sistah who could be any young

woman.

The way Harper addresses issues like drugs, relationships, family life, and future plans for this young sistah is

informal and

unpretentious because of the medium he’s chosen. In responding to questions and concerns from this

young sistah, it is not a

forced conversation or one set up like a customary teacher/student. In the beginning, Harper

even admits that he might not

have all the answers, but if he doesn’t, he’ll find a woman friend, teacher, or mentor who

does.

Harper includes real emails with questions from real girls around the country, a great addition. In this way, sistahs get

to see

what other sistahs are thinking, feeling, and worrying about. This feature was also a great way for Harper to

reach out and

include some very influential women’s responses to these emails – real women talking about their

experiences as young

sistahs.