In this book, the reader experiences the brilliance of Angelou’s knack for telling stories. Drawing from the depths and breadths of a life well lived, Angelou spent her young adulthood having more experiences than most people have in a lifetime.
Angelou uses her youth, her journey into womanhood, her personal tragedies and her struggles as a single black teenage mother, abuse in relationship at the hands of her first lover, failed marriages, the death of friends etc.
Maya was very honest about her beliefs, her past mistakes (giving birth after a meaningless sexual encounter, encounter of a psychotic boyfriend, called Two-finger Mark, who almost killer her), her thought about suicide, her story about a party where she stepped on the tablecloth, mistaken as rug, and her perception of the prejudices against black and women. Each chapter is an essay of a certain topic.
Travelling and living all over the USA, West Africa, Morocco, Egypt, working as a fry cook, a nightclub performer, and finally overcoming depression to find her voice as a writer.
Like a mirror she reflects on her own life and every roller coaster is weaved with invaluable nuggets of wisdom that only comes from living a life and the learning that comes with that.
Very down to earth and of course her wisdom is beyond compare ..
Some of my favorite quotes:
“I believe that one can never leave home. I believe that one carries the shadows, the dreams, the fears and the dragons of home under one’s skin, at the extreme corners of one’s eyes and possibly in the gristle of the earlobe.”
On Chapter 1 – “Memory,” “I am convinced that most people do not grow up. We find parking spaces and honor our credit cards. We marry and dare to have children and call that growing up. I think what we do is mostly grow old. We carry accumulation of years in our bodies and on our faces, but generally our real selves, the children inside, are still innocent and shy as magnolias.
We may act sophisticated and worldly but I believe we feel safest when we go inside ourselves and find home, a place where we belong and maybe the only place we really do.”
On Chapter 25 – “Commencement Address” “Of all your attributes — youth, beauty, wit, kindness, mercy — courage is your greatest achievement. For you, without it, can practice no other virtue with consistency.”
There was nothing small or uninteresting about the life of Maya Angelou…
Maya Angelou is one of the most talented writers in history and her words have the power to reach into one’s soul to make an intimate connection. The audible version is wonderful, spell-bounding, and engaging.
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