Letters to a Young Sister: DeFINE Your Destiny

by Hill Harper, Kevin R. Free (Narrator), Gabrielle Union (Foreword by)

In the follow-up to his award winning national bestseller, Letters to a Young Brother, actor and star of CSI: NY shares his powerful wisdom for young women everywhere, drawing on the courageous advice of the female role models who transformed his life.

Letters to a Young Sister unfolds as a series of letters written by older brother Hill to a universal Young Sistah. She’s up against the same challenges as every young woman: from relating to her parents and dealing with peer pressure, to juggling schoolwork and crushes and keeping faith in the face of heartache. In his straight-talking style, Hill helps his young sister build self-confidence, self-reliance, self-respect, and encourages her on her journeys towards becoming a strong and successful woman. The book also includes contributions from admirable women like Angela Basset, Ciara, Michelle Obama, Tatyana Ali, Nikki Giovanni, Congresswoman Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrikck, Eve, Malinda Williams, Kim Porter, and more.

Genres: Nonfiction, Self Help, Urban

304 pages, Hardcover

First published June 3, 2008

About the author

Francis Harper, known professionally as Hill Harper, is an American film, television and stage actor, and author. An alumnus of Harvard Law School, he is best known for his portrayal of Dr. Sheldon Hawkes on the CBS drama television series CSI: NY.

Reviews

[Marrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Honestly, I read this as an insecure, unsure middle schooler and don't remember much about it. But I remember it helped me quite a lot and made me feel better about myself, so I'm definitely rating it four stars.

[Alyssa Cestero]

I love this book. I have never been so in love with a book. When I read this book I tell everyone to shut up. I am a person who doesn't really get into books. I think the author Hill Harper is amazing. He really does help people. When I read everyday I feel different. The changes you in a good way. I used to get every upset with myself but when I read this book and I realized that I am human. I have to learn from my mistakes.
I think everyone should read this book. One reason the adults could understand what the teenagers go through. They could have a better relationship with their kid or others. The book does help many teenager. It help you understand yourself. The book gaves you hope. The author makes our problems much better. He really understands and he just make everything easy. I think a lot of people need someone to guide them and let them know that everything is going to be okay. This book does that. I think everyone needs some support.
In this book there are many problems. You have teenager girls dealing with break ups; girls questioning sex and how to over come obstacles. Girls think too much and they are cludes about a guy and the author breaks it down for the girls. He tells them how they should be treated and how they should deal with things. The author just helps out these girls with questions that they need to be answer. He like father to most of thses girls and I would love to meet him and say thank you.

[Marko · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hill Harper is clearly a very mature and "salt of the earth" type of guy- at least that was the impression that I got after reading his Letters. I thought that the book would be adored much more by a younger crowd however. Even though I am only in my early twenties there were a couple of emails where Hill answered questions that I asked in earlier stages of my life, not that his answers were no longer applicable just that I know longer felt those to be burning issues. Some parts of the book really resonated to me at my age though- Hill talks about that importance of financial stability and how to start the foundation for that right now. Honestly, I think that that was the best letter. Another part I thought really reached me was the very end of the book, the last paragraph on the last page was what I think I will remember the most about this book if anything.

If give it a three stars in my subjective opinion, but I think it may be worth four objectively speaking. Younger ladies may benefit a whole lot from this book.

[Keizo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely love this book. I felt like the letters were heart-felt and some felt personal to me. It was very inspirational and positive. It was a new type of book and the aim of it was very impressive. I recommend this book to all teenage girls although I was 21 when I bought it.

[Aisha]

While I enjoyed Letters to a Young Brother, this one was way too preachy for my taste. I did not make it through to the end :(

[Tasha]

it took so long to read because I couldn't get into it easily.

[AMAO · Rating 5 out of 5]

Letters to a Young Sister: DeFINE Your Destiny by Hill Harper
Published June 3, 2008
#bgrtreadingchallenge 2021 ~A book of letters




In the follow-up to his award winning national bestseller, Letters to a Young Brother, actor and star of CSI: NY shares powerful wisdom for young women everywhere, drawing on the courageous advice of the female role models who transformed his life.

Letters to a Young Sister unfolds as a series of letters written by older brother Hill to a universal young sister. She's up against the same challenges as every young woman: from relating to her parents and dealing with peer pressure, to juggling schoolwork and crushes and keeping faith in the face of heartache. Hill offers guidance, encouragement, personal stories, and asks his female friends to help answer some truly tough questions. Every young sister needs to know that it's okay to dream big and to deFINE her own destiny. This is a book that will educate, uplift and inspire.

Including original contributions from:

Michelle Obama

Angela Basset
Ciara
Tatyana Ali
Eve
Malinda Williams
Chanel Iman
Kim Porter
and many more.

[Pam Sloss · Rating 5 out of 5]

Author Hill Harper exchanges heart-felt, thought-provoking letters with a young woman. This book provides great insight and invokes reflection, even to me, as a mature woman. I feel this book would give young women hope and inspiration about issues faced growing up. The letters offer guidance and wisdom from a male perspective, supported by a long list of input from guest influencers connected to the author. Great, uplifting book!!

[DearBookClub · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Now embracing this idea of self-compassion and self-forgiveness is one of the most difficult things there is to do. And oftentimes when things are difficult to do we need help and resources and we have to practice it, to reinforce it." -- Hill Harper --- "Letters To A Young Sister," is such a wonderful book to help young women of color through their journey in life.

[Diana Duell · Rating 3 out of 5]

I bought this book because I like Hill Harper. He gave some good advice in this book and had several other people weigh in on the topics. I was getting bored towards the end because it seemed to be repeating but I enjoyed it for the most part.

[Dessiree · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Writers are people I'm familiar with and was looking forward to reading but honestly this was entirely too slow. after starting and not finishing this book, I promised myself that if I plan to borrow or purchase a book I need to complete it in its entirety to give a honest opinion.

[Caleen Sullivan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome book...wish I would've read this when I was a teenage girl. Still learned so much reading this book as an adult.

[Deborah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Inspiration for anyone interested in being a big bro or big sis to challenged youth in the community!

[Arielle Eugene · Rating 5 out of 5]

A big eye opener!! Awesome for self-esteem and awareness!

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

KS!S

[Nicole · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have been trying to finish this book for years. I suppose it's because I'm not the intended audience, but it just seems to drone on. I can't get into it and I'm not trying anymore.

[Crystal McNack · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished reading (listening to) Letters to a Young Sister: DeFINE Your Destiny. For a number of years now, I have admired Hill Harper and an actor and let's face it, as a beautiful black man. In hearing him speak I began to realize that there was something deep and rooted underneath the surface. The more I learned of him outside of his acting and great looks, the more I appreciate his mind, world view ,and his heart of service, especially when it comes to uplifting and enlightening the African American community.

As he states at the beginning of the book, "You have probably heard everything I will share in this book at one point or another in your life." As he noted, because my favorite genre of reading material as of late seems to be motivational/self help/spiritual, I have heard the principles he speaks of numerous times. Nonetheless, when what you have to share is a universally good message, it is always a great to remind people of the power they possess and how to put their best foot forward to navigate life's lessons. We all need a pep talk ever so often, regardless of some of us not being "young," as the title suggests.

As for the organization of the book, I think it was clever to include the letters, dates, and times to keep the reader/listener anticipating the next offering. I appreciate the male point of view on dating, but I love the fact that female leaders and trailblazers were able to offer up there advice. I believe that there were value lessons about self worth, self forgiveness, self imaging,setting goal, and most importantly . The offering had a very natural progression, as in someone who truly cares about you and wants you to have a better life.

I would definitely suggest this book for anyone...not just female or black or "young" to read this book. It is very refreshing to hear these affirmations from a hip, attractive, intellegent brother. He took advantage of being able to touch those who may not be prive to a Marianne Williamson, Khalil Gibran, Napolean Hill, etc. Great read!!!

[Jennifer Wardrip · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reviewed by Erikka Adams aka "The Bookbinder" for TeensReadToo.com

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.

[Z Jackson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am currently reading this book and I must say that it has been an inspiring experience. Hill Harper assumes the advisor role for a young female in this book. The book provides advice and opinions from the author to the reader in the form of e-mail correspondence between Hill and the young lady; it also includes some e-mail responses from Hill's famous friends. I enjoyed the design of the book. The communicative interaction between Hill and the young sister immediately draws you in. In a sense, the book lets you view two different perspectives with Hill providing some words of wisdom and on many occassions I found my self relating. I'm 23 but I believe the words in this book are relevant to many women no matter the age or color. I'm looking forward to reading some of Hill's other works as I've truly enjoyed reading this book.

[Antonio Wesley · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a book with short poems, stories, emails, and letters to young teenage girls. These are responses to questions that girls have with the best advice possible that Hill Harper was able to give. I think it is a good book because it teaches a lot of important life lessons. Toward the end of the book, Harper tells readers to refer to their life as a chocolate fudge cake. He says to compare a Ho Ho, which is just satisfying for the moment to a chocolate fudge cake which goes deep in your mouth and lets you savor the flavor for a while. This shows that in life sometimes it's important to look at the good things rather than the bad. I would recommend this book to every teenager, girl or boy because it talks about everything in a teenagers life that is possible. There is also s "Letters to a Young Brother" that I would also refer to any teenager.

[Mae · Rating 4 out of 5]

I took my time reading this book so that I could get out of it what the author intended. Each "chapter" had a message that the author was trying to get across to his desired audience and with each message there was thought provoking information. Though the audience was geared towards young African American ladies; I feel this book is great for all young ladies. Some messages may not be as powerful towards one race over the other; however, each message offers guidance and knowledge that all young ladies can use. I plan to use this book in group with the young females that I work with. They are all in need of the male perspective and he pairs his own advise/perspective with females whom are in his life. It is a great resource for young ladies everywhere.

[AngiJo · Rating 4 out of 5]

A "young sister," who falls somewhere between 13 and 17 years old would really enjoy this book. Even at 31, I took away a few pearls of wisdom. He relies on the advice of celebrities, well-known politicians, and the like to give the advice, while using his own voice, and a handful of clichés and song lyrics to give the positive reinforcement. Harper also does a decent job of introducing young ladies to leaders, trailblazers, and trend setters in the black community. I wasn't expecting this format, but I suspect that it works for a younger reader. He gets off to a slow start but it picks up about halfway through.

[Collin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a semi-enjoyable read in the same vein of Letters to a Young Brother, but I found the advice harder to take. I don't know if it was because Harper is a black man offering advice to young black women, or if it is the delivery, but this book was somewhat of a chore to get through. It was interesting how some of the celebrity women that offered advice seemed to be fairly cold and clinical in their advice. I am unsure if it was because of the editing, but the men profiled in Letters to A Young Brother were warmer and real.

[Ariel Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Letters to a Young Sister : Define is an amazing inspirational book for young girls. This book had advice for every possible teenage scenario. There are even little poems throughout the whole book, they're very uplifting and inspirational. The book even has advice letter form celebrities such as: Gabrielle Union, Eve, Maya Angelou, and many others.

This book was inspirational but also entertaining. The topics were from planning your life goals, dating, sex, and appreciating and loving yourself for who you are.

The book was excellent no negative comments.

[Mindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was written after Letters to a Young Brother and it has extremely similar advice just written with a young female audience in mind. It's a little more loquacious for some reason. I could almost feel that he was uncomfortable sometimes trying to write for girls, but I respect him for doing it anyway. It's all great advice and if the young sisters of the world would actually read it and follow his advice, America would honestly be on a better track.

[Justine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book for young women of all ages, even for women who are mature and have established their lives. There is nothing wrong with getting advice at any age and it is great when the advice comes from a man's perspective. Addressing the issues of sex, love, jealously, money, financial empowerment, relationships, school, future, and so many things, Harper gives everyone something that they all can relate to. Very inspirational and full of positive energy and advice.

[Latasha Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gifted to me back in 2014, but I don't do so well with self-help books. They're more annoying and drole to me than anything. However, Hill has some pretty keen insight and pulls in some pretty impressive friends to help a young fan of his come into her own. He's a good big brother and mentor and I think this is definitely a good read and inspiring material for a young lady in need of inspiration and encouragement.

[V Dixon · Rating 2 out of 5]

Book was a mite pretentious. Some of the advice was good and depending on the audience possibly it was and will be well received. Was I in love with this book-no. Do I understand the rationale behind it-yes. Will this be a go to book for me-no. Will I recommend it to someone else? It depends on the person I am trying to reach. I am glad I read it so I am able to understand those who think it is a great book.

[Janee' · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fab read! Every woman should read it. It's very inspiring to young women & a reminder for older women. Knowledge never gets old. The way Hill Harper speaks to the young lady he exchanges letters with is beyond a moving experience to the reader. It's the very advice that every woman has searched for at least once. I can't wait to tell my friends about it.

[Daja · Rating 5 out of 5]

lettes to a young sister is about,hill harper being a big brother to a few of the girls in his book that need help or advice woth there problems. he ask othe people for advice to so he can help them out with stuff that he dont have the answer to. hill harper a brother and actress an autor best selling book.