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A review by helendipietro
Letter to My Daughter by Maya Angelou
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
5.0
After reading ‘I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings’ I knew I would be reading more of Maya Angelou’s work and ‘Letter to My Daughter’ did not disappoint – reading it felt like a big hug from a loved one! I absolutely loved the fusion of genre – part memoir, part manual, part guidebook, part poetry. I read it in one sitting! Full of life lessons and wisdom, Angelou collates her experiences into short chapters that can be dipped into in any order. Her accounts are raw, honest, courageous and humorous! What more could you want? Angelou didn’t even have a daughter but the book is titled ‘letter to my daughter’ because she says that she has many daughters all over the world. ”You are Black and White. Jewish and Muslim, Asian, Spanish-speaking, Native American and Aleut. You are fat and thin, pretty and plain, gay and straight, educated and unlettered, and I am speaking to you all. Here is my offering to you.”
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Some of the wisest words of wisdom for me:
"I remind myself it is sufficient to know what I know, and that what I know, may not always be true"
“You may not control all the events that happen to you but you can decide not to be reduced by them.”
“When people ask, ‘How are you,’ have the nerve to answer truthfully.’
“I learned that a friend may be waiting behind a stranger’s face.”
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My favourite chapters/ most memorable would be:
Chapter 5: Accident, Coincident or Answered Prayer
Chapter 6: To Tell the Truth
Chapter 10: Morocco
Chapter 15: Senegal
Chapter 24: Salute to Older Lovers
Chapter 25: Commencement Address
Please read this book now!