Gospel, blues, and love songs often suggest that birthing is hard, dying is difficult and there isn't much ease in between.

After how thoroughly I enjoyed I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, I thought for sure that this book would be another slam dunk, but unfortunately, it wasn't. I love Maya and everything she stood for, but the narrative in this autobiography was lackluster and, frankly, a bit boring. I found myself skimming more often than I wanted to, because where I was expecting more tales of her adventures and her fights for equal treatment, I was instead treated to endless tales of dinner parties and name-dropping of celebrities she befriended. If you're looking to learn about Maya's life in general, I'd recommend this book, but if you're looking for the reasons why she became the incredible woman she was, pass this one up and grab Caged Bird instead.