A review by lorrainelowereads
Singin' & Swingin' & Gettin' Merry Like Christmas by Maya Angelou

5.0

Singin’ and Swingin’ & Getting Merry Like Christmas is book 3 in Angelou’s 7 autobiographies. If you haven’t started reading these, I highly recommend that you start! While books 1 and 2 describe Maya’s difficult childhood and adolescence, this book begins with her in her early 20s working two jobs to afford rent and food for herself and her 5 year old son. However her luck is about to change and a job offer in a record store is the beginning of her entry into the world of cabaret, dancing and showbiz. This culminates in her getting a role in the European tour of the first all African American opera, Porgy and Bess. But this amazing opportunity means leaving her young son at home with her mother for months on end....a decision that devastates him and ultimately her too. Angelou is honest to a fault and like before, doesn’t let her young self away with anything. She chose to leave him; she must deal with the consequences. Also in this book we see Angelou try and fail at being married and also grapple with her emotions when forming relationships with white people, truly non-racist white people. Her distrust and anger run deep. Love, love, love her.