Rating: Summary: A courageous woman with courageous strength and truth Review: "The Heart of a Woman" tells of a courageous woman, Maya Angelou, who maintains a career as a dancer while raising a rebellious teenage son. She also identifies with the struggle and hardships of dealing with relationships. Her encounters with famous people such as Billie Holiday, Malcom X, and Dr. Martin Luther King, reflects strength in her writing and her passion for life. This book will inspire everyone to be successful in their everyday living. This great book will also bring out "The Heart of a Woman" in everyone.
Rating: 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.
Rating: Summary: A courageous woman with courageous strength and truth Review: "The Heart of a Woman" tells of a courageous woman, Maya Angelou, who maintains a career as a dancer while raising a rebellious teenage son. She also identifies with the struggle and hardships of dealing with relationships. Her encounters with famous people such as Billie Holiday, Malcom X, and Dr. Martin Luther King, reflects strength in her writing and her passion for life. This book will inspire everyone to be successful in their everyday living. This great book will also bring out "The Heart of a Woman" in everyone.
Rating: Summary: From one real mother to another....I understand ! Review: "The Heart Of A Woman" tugged at every internal ounce of my very soul where my womanhood as a mother is concerned. I thought of my four sons and my need to mother (guide) them as I read. I thought of my twin daughters also and my need to mother (guide) them too. Recently,as my first son left, heading for college, I thought again of "The Heart Of A Woman". As he walked through the crosswalk to the airport entrance after kissing me goodbye and thanking me for guiding him over the past eighteen years, my flesh (self) cried and cried. My soul knew that I'd done all that I was capable of doing and that he would be just fine. That's the heart of a woman. Every mother who has ever tried to raise her children through test and trial should read this book. It'll give you the strength to keep on keep'in on!
Rating: Summary: Maya is capable of opening souls Review: In researching information about Maya I've found her writing can be absorbed and understood by even the most uneducated reader. Her positive reflections, regardless of race or religion of the reader, is easy to understand. One can only set down the book(s)and/or poetry feeling empowered and enlightened. I applaude her strenghth, courage and wisdom that is derived of her many life experiences,her belief in GOD and human spirit and the ability to never give up.
Rating: Summary: A little disappointed. Review: Although I still admire Maya Angelou because of all she accomplished in her life, I could not get past some of the generalities she makes in her book. I found I disagreed on many issues with Angelou, and why wouldn't I? To point out the obvious, I am white, and she is black. But, that doesn't even matter. She is a woman who should reach far beyond me in philosophy and wisdom because I am merely a 16-year old girl. However, when Angelou talked about the mulatto bastards, I could not help being offended. I am not implying that race should be an issue in any way, but it is hard for me to understand why Angelou has this viewpoint. I guess I was hoping for more philosophy out of the book, not a story of her life.
Rating: Summary: Disappointing. Review: Although the words of Ms. Angelou flow as beautifully as ever, the message of this particular "Oprah's Book Club" reading seems to be a little late for the times
Rating: Summary: Mediocrity A-Go-Go Review: Angelou is without question, the single most overrated "writer" on the planet.
Rating: 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!
Rating: Summary: Phenominal Woman with a Phenominal Heart! Review: As an English major at Alcorn State in MS, I have read many books, bur this book has really twisted my stomach into a frenzy. This woman has boldness and strength that a lot of women today do not have. Her words were so enticing and to the point. The book kept me on my toes and urging me to want to read it more and more. I can only say that although this book was a bit biographical, it is very instrumental to the Black Woman under- standing the meaning of her heart!
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