I suppose I first heard of Maya Angelou from my husband, who for some time now has had the first three volumes of her autobiography on the shelves. However, it wasn't until I saw her famous opening volume, "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" in the 1001 Books list that I actually got round to reading her.
I was captured straightaway. She writes with a vividness and urgency that carries you along, reading and reading, devouring the book until you come to the end ... and since her autobiography covers six volumes, each volume ends with you wanting to know what happens next.
In this fourth volume, which I started on Saturday and finished just now, Maya meets Sidney Poitier, Martin Luther King and Malcolm X. Among others. They are just thrown into the mix ... on each occasion when one of these characters appeared for the first time, I turned to my husband to say, "You'll never guess whom she's met now!" However, the main theme of the story covers Maya's "marriage" to an African man, Vus, and her moving to Cairo and then to Ghana, where she resides as the book closes. It's frustrating watching her change from being an independent woman to being a housekeeper who stays home and doesn't work, when she obviously wants to. And interesting to see how she is able to move on.
Maya Angelou has faced many battles in her life, and has overcome many interesting challenges. I am keen to read her penultimate volume ... I'll let you know when I'm done!
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