The Heart of a Woman
Ratings8
Average rating4.4
15
Ratings8
Average rating4.4
Maya Angelou has fascinated, moved, and inspired countless readers with the first three volumes of her autobiography, one of the most remarkable personal narratives of our age. Now, in her fourth volume, The Heart of a Woman, her turbulent life breaks wide open with joy as the singer-dancer enters the razzle-dazzle of fabulous New York City. There, at the Harlem Writers Guild, her love for writing blazes anew. Her compassion and commitment lead her to respond to the fiery times by becoming the northern coordinator of Martin Luther King's history-making quest. A tempestuous, earthy woman, she promises her heart to one man only to have it stolen, virtually on her weding day, by a passionate African freedom fighter. Filled with unforgettable vignettes of famous characters, from Billie Holiday to Malcolm X, The Heart of a Woman sings with Maya Angelou's eloquent prose -- her fondest dreams, deepest disappointments, and her dramatically tender relationship with her rebellious teenage son. Vulnerable, humorous, tough, Maya speaks with an intimate awareness of the heart within all of us.
Reviews with the most likes.
Before reading this, I knew Maya Angelou as a civil rights activist and a renowned poet. I had NO idea how incredible a life she lived. In the span of the ~6 years of this book (which I gather by how much her son aged), she started as a single mother in San Francisco, spending a few weeks hosting Billy Holiday (who was apparently kind of an awful person); then moving to New York to become a fundraiser for the civil rights movement, meeting with Martin Luther King and Malcom X; and rubbing elbows with the likes of James Baldwin as part of the Harlem Writer's Guild; acting in a play with James Earl Jones; moving to Cairo with the South African activist she married only to leave his sorry, controlling ass soon after to move to Ghana, where her son almost died before attending university. And this is all BEFORE she became a famous author. Like... woah. And then there's the writing. The writing!! Of course, it was economical and lovely throughout, but sometimes she would so perfectly, poetically describe a scene or a feeling, I was so taken aback I had to dogear the page and reread a few times. Just a beautiful book. Can't wait to read more of her autobiographies and learn more of her amazing life and mellifluous prose.
Series
6 primary booksMaya Angelou's Autobiography is a 6-book series with 6 primary works first released in 1969 with contributions by Maya Angelou.
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