K'wan seems to be the Donald Goines of our generation. He
has an extraordinary gift for leading the reader
into the hood lifestyle of drugs, violence, hip hop, and
relationship drama without the same tired clichés and
stereotypes of black women that we see played out in pop
culture media. The characterizations of the women that the
novel focuses on are complex and detailed enough that the
reader is able to connect with the strength and frailty of
some very tough women, who have to deal with some very awful
circumstances. The dialogue and voices of the characters
are authentic. K'Wan seems to be one of the few writers who
is able to accomplish this without it seeming trite and forced.
In WELFARE WIFEYS, Gucci is the longtime girlfriend of
Animal, a hip hop star who still has ties to his former life
as a drug dealer and all around street hustler. Gucci
provides some semblance of stability and boundaries for
Animal as he tries to deal with his new-found stardom while
dealing with his past. At least, she thinks she does, until
a trip home to his old Harlem stomping grounds reveals that
things aren't quite what they seem, and the reader gets a
clearer understanding of how Animal earned his street name.
Malika is the youngest daughter of two educated and
professional parents. During her teenage years, she turned
her back on her nice middle class existence to move in with
an older man from the hood who fathered her only son,
Solomon. When things didn't work out, Malika moved to the
projects to raise her son alone, and is driven even further
into the lifestyle of a poor single black mother.
Throughout the novel, the reader is introduced to an array
of colorful female characters who are trying to deal with
the hand that life has dealt them, while at the same time
trying to gain a better life for themselves and those they
love. All of the characters are tragically flawed in this
well crafted tale of hood life.
After the deaths and arrests of his entire crew and an
informant-fueled investigation into his past, the man known
on the streets as Animal relocates to Texas and finds fame
and stardom as the newest act signed to the notorious Big
Dawg Entertainment. His girlfriend, Gucci, is thrilled when
she gets the news that he’s coming back to New York on a
promotional tour, but when she discovers the hidden agenda
behind his homecoming nothing can prepare her for the
life-altering consequences that will come of it.
There goes the neighborhood . . . again.