The Heart of a Woman

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Summary: Fascinating episodes from Maya's life
Review: "The Heart of a Woman" is a continuation of Maya Angelou's multi-volume autobiography. Written a direct and uncomplicated style, this volume opens in 1957, with Maya as a young mother raising her son in California.

As the narrative unfolds, Maya moves to New York City, where she becomes involved in the Harlem Writers Guild. The author goes on to describe her experiences in the theater, her involvement in the civil rights movement, and her work as a journalist in Africa.

"The Heart of a Woman" is a fascinating evocation of a turbulent era in both American and African history. I was particularly intrigued by the story of Angelou's performance in Jean Genet's play "The Blacks"; Angelou offers some interesting insights into the relationship between artistic and racial issues. For those interested in women's studies, African-American literature, literary autobiography, or mid-20th century American history, this book is an essential text.

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Summary: Maya Angelou The Heart of a Woman: Oprah Book Club
Review: As a reader of this wonderful book, I feel as if a part of me goes along with maya on her journey to survive in a world that is so unjust.As she tells her story, this biography seems to come to life as her powerful words take you, the reader, for a ride.

It all begins in the city of New York where she tells of her son Guy and herself living in a small apartment.Her musical ways get her to a place where she feels comfortable as far as living-wise.Her singing and acting career seem to really come out in the beggining of this novel.She tells of performing in the Apolo Theatre, which is a very famous Negro-American theatre.Maya's talent for the stage lands her a job in producing and acting in small caberets and plays.Maya begins to feel that something is missing in her life.That thing she needs is a man to support herself and her son.At a local bar, where she often went to get away form it all, Maya's hopes of having that gap filled seems to come true when she met a nice man by the name of Thomas Allen.They become aquainted and meet more times after. Eventually Maya and Thomas hit it off and become engaged to be married. Frineds along the way such as the killenses, who where the reason in which Maya and Guy moved there in the first place, encouraged them and were supportive of the marrige plans.Life seems to work in funny ways especially for Miss Maya Angelou.A speaker who came all of the way from Africa was at a friends house one afternoon for a party.This famous freedom fighters name was Vusumzi Make(pronounced mah-kay). Maya attended this party that afternon while her fiance was at work.Maya had gotten one look at this man and she knew right then and there that he was the one, he was everything she'd hoped for in a man."...I had not met such a man..." said Maya.Make later offered Maya to lunch several times.Maya thinking nothing of it while her fiance was off at work accepted each invitation. She began to have strong feeling for the man.One particular evening, Make asked her to marry him and to move out of this city to Africa where her son would grow up to be a wonderful African man.Of course Maya felt torn and thought long and hard but came to a conclusion in which to accept his offer; but to break the news to her fiance, that was another story.She told him the not so good new and like any person would he was upset and that was it.

Maya and Make then got married and now they could make thier plans to move to Africa.They followed through with those plans and started to what they thought was a better life. In fact life does not work that way at least not in Maya's case. Life seemed good for a while having thier expensive apartment with oriental rugs and royal furniture.But as life went on and Vus, Vusumzi, had more job that were not so close to home he would return with the scent of other girl and the make-up smudged all over his collar.Now Maya didn't jump to conclusions right off but after a while she new something was up and confronted about it numerous times.He explained that she was the only one he loved. But finally it got old and vus would come home very late sometimes not at all. This time when confronted Vus confessed to all of those girls in the past.He told her that being an African man he could have more than one wife to fulfill his needs.Maya was more hurt than anything, but she dealed with it like any women would she told Vus that she was taking Guy and leaving him and that she no longer had any romantic feeling for him anymore.

Time pressed on and a meeting with friends got Maya to stay for six months. When those six months were up She packed her things and headed off to Ghara.At this time Guy had graduated high school and was ready to go to collge. Maya herf that Ghara's college was a great one and only wanted the best for the one who ment the world to her.Maya would go and work as a writer at the Liberian Depeatment of Info.This all seemed like it would work out after all.Again something threw their planns off this time a little more serious.Guy had been involved in a severe car accident and had broken his neck and was put into a neck, arm and body cast.Guy recovered after in time and he headed off to be a man in college while Maya had to deal with the fact that her little bot was all grown up ready to face the world and to make a difference in someone's life!

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Summary: An incredibly fascinating continuation of her life
Review: I just finished "Heart Of A Woman". I had read "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" last year. Several weeks ago I decided to read the rest of her books. Thus, I've read "Gather Together In My Name", and "Singin' and Swingin' and Gettin' Merry Like Christmas" in succesion. This book is one of the best that I've ever read, and I read alot of books! Her life is so interesting and eventful. Even though she relates her trajedies as well as her joys, you don't feel sorry for her, because through everything she remains true to herself and thereby comes out on top. Her tender devotion to her son is very touching. Through a childhood of constant changes he is depicted as a wonderful human being, equally devoted to his mother. There are parts of the book where I was laughing out loud at situations she gotten her self into and how she handled them. What a woman! I've just ordered "Travelin' Shoes", which I think is the last in the series of autobiographical books. I will continue to read her poems and whatever works she has produced. She is a woman to be respected and admired.

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Summary: You never know what's in a woman's heart
Review: Maya Angelou impresses me. What a life! So many lives at the same: it's crazy. I've just watched a movie (featuring Wesley Snipes) that she has recently directed and which reminded of the kind of woman that I thought she was when I read her "Heart": compassionate, human...

Reading Angelou made me aware of what it is was to be a woman and a mother in America. I've read about fictional characters that had comparable difficulties and faced them with astonishing courage and endurance, but reading Maya made it more real for me. Doing that while one has so many commitments at the same time certainly compels admiration.

Words are inadequate to express how I felt to enter the heart of a woman that has so many experiences to share and read a book that is so simply and yet masterfully written.

In this review, I didn't want to be academic and all (commenting on the themes, the syntax, the structure, etc.). I just wanted to communicated what Maya's heart has put in my heart. Go for it, it's humanizing and worth-reading.

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Summary: Maintaining Faith Even Through the Hardest Obstacles
Review: Maya Angelou's "The Heart of A Woman" is written with grace and delicacy. In it Maya undergoes many obstacles as a mother, friend, fiance and leader. Guy, her teenage son faces peer pressure and gets involved with the violence on the street. As a result, Maya baffles with separating work and catering to her fatherless son. The help from many friends like, John Killens, help Angelou to maintain faith. Also, Maya's dedication to the civil rights movements during the mid' twentieth century is a pure example of her being an organized and charismatic person. Maya is a woman who has fulfilled the scripture "faith the size of a mustard seed can move mountains". What I admire the most is that a lot of the work Maya was handling was volunteer, so as a result she was not getting paid, which meant she was finding other means of survival. It takes a determined person to succeed. Despite of the many tribulations Angelou underwent, she persevered. From Maya I have learned that a leader is caring, devoted and brave.

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Summary: Nice.
Review: More than the story itself I think that I was more impressed by Maya's style of writing. I have always said that give me ten random paragraphs from different authors and I will always tell you which one is by Angelou. It's a very interesting story. It's a good read. However, I have read works by her that are better, which is why I give it 4 stars. She narrates about her life in Egypt, Ghana, and America. We are also given a closer look at her relationship with her son, her trials and difficulties. Go get it!

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Summary: Another triumph for Maya
Review: Once again in her continuing autobiography Maya Angelou allows us into her world. She lets you know that she is just as human as the rest of us. I loved this book. It is well worth the money and I can't believe anyone would want to sell this book for a lousy 1.59 Maya's books should be bronzed and kept forever.

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Summary: Mediocrity A-Go-Go
Review: The Heart of a Woman is a continuation of Angelou's autobiography, chronicling her adult life as a mother, wife and freedom fighter. The story begins with her decision to move to New York in the late 1950's when Martin Luther King and Malcom X were the most central political figures of that time. There she begins to write, produces the Cabaret of Freedom, a collaboration of performances given to raise money for the SCLC, becomes employed then by the SCLC in a position only held by men previously. Shortly after she has been working such a prestigious job, she meets and marries an African freedom-fighter who wisks Angelou and her son, Guy, off to Cairo where she knows noone. Maya Angelou appears to create good out of bad, a woman faced with tragedy numerous times throughout her life, yet comes out triumphant and victorious each time. Never did I feel as if I was being led to lament with her difficulties. On the contrary, I felt admiration for a woman who inhabited a strong sense of self and an even stronger zest for living. An inspirational story I would recommend to anyone.

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Summary: Wonderful Inspiration for women
Review: This book is a wonderful inspiration for women. Maya Angelou had many obstacles to overcome in her life, and not one stopped her. She has done so much in her life and this book takes you through a glimpse of it. It is an amazing journey and well worth the read.

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Summary: Wow.....
Review: When I first picked up this book, I thought to myself 'Ah yes another "Go Women" book. I started to read it. The extensive aray of emotions and thoughts this book provoked was amazing. I never thought a book could touch me so deeply. Sometimes, I laughed so hard I needed to put the book down, sometimes cried a river, sometimes threw the book across the room in disgust and anger for all the racial comments of both black and white races. One amazingly breathtaking story. I recently went to see Maya Angelou speak, the topic " Composing oneslef". The moment she was introduced and came on stage, I burst into tears. It was the most wonderful thing I have seen to date. I highly, highly recommend this book to all who want an amazing story and want to come away from a book with self-confidance, reasurance and re-newed self worth: I am Woman.