Recommendations based on The Heart of a Womanby Maya Angelou

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  1. Gather Together in My Name

    by Maya Angelou
    A young woman's compelling memoir of her struggles for independence and identity.

    The book opens in the years following World War II. Angelou, still known as "Marguerite," or "Rita," has just given birth to her son Clyde, and is living with her mother and stepfather in San ... (Wikipedia)

  2. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings

    by Maya Angelou
    Autobiographical account of a Black woman's journey to find her identity in a prejudiced society.

    Maya Angelou’s debut memoir is a modern American classic beloved worldwide. Her life story is told in the documentary film And Still I Rise, as seen on PBS’s American Masters. Here is a book as ... (Goodreads)

  3. The Color of Water: A Black Man's Tribute to His White Mother

    by James McBride
    A memoir of a black man's journey to understand his white mother's past and how it shaped his own identity.

    Touches readers of all colors as a vivid portrait of growing up, a haunting meditation on race and identity, and a lyrical valentine to a mother from her son. Who is Ruth McBride Jordan? A ... (Goodreads)

  4. Letter to My Daughter

    by Maya Angelou
    Collection of essays from a mother to her daughter, exploring life lessons, history, and love.

    For a world of devoted readers, a much-awaited new volume of absorbing stories and inspirational wisdom from one of our best-loved writers. Dedicated to the daughter she never had but sees all around ... (Goodreads)

  5. Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance

    by Barack Obama
    An exploration of the Obama family history, tracing the threads of identity and race.

    In this lyrical, unsentimental, and compelling memoir, the son of a black African father and a white American mother searches for a workable meaning to his life as a black American. It begins in New ... (Goodreads)

  6. Grace

    by Anne Lamott
    A collection of essays on faith, doubt, and grace. Lamott's witty and honest writing explores the complexities of spirituality and the human experience.

    From the New York Times, bestselling author of, Dusk, Night, Dawn,, Bird by Bird, Hallelujah Anyway, and, Almost Everything, ,"Lamott has chronicled her wacky and (sometimes) wild adventures in faith ... (Barnes & Noble)

  7. The Year of Magical Thinking

    by Joan Didion
    A woman's reflections on life and death after the sudden loss of her husband.

    'An act of consummate literary bravery, a writer known for her clarity allowing us to watch her mind as it becomes clouded with grief.' From one of America's iconic writers, a stunning book of ... (Goodreads)

  8. Naked

    by David Sedaris
    Collection of humorous essays exploring the absurdities of everyday life.

    Welcome to the hilarious, strange, elegiac, outrageous world of David Sedaris. In Naked , Sedaris turns the mania for memoir on its proverbial ear, mining the exceedingly rich terrain of his life, ... (Goodreads)

  9. When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times

    by Pema Chödrön
    A guide to finding peace and strength in times of chaos and uncertainty, using Buddhist teachings and personal anecdotes.

    Pema Chödrön's perennially best-selling classic on overcoming life's difficulties cuts to the heart of spirituality and personal growth—now in a newly designed 20th-anniversary edition with a new ... (Barnes & Noble)

  10. Girl, Interrupted

    by Susanna Kaysen
    A memoir of a woman's struggle with mental illness, her fight for survival, and her journey of self-discovery.

    In April 1967, 18-year-old Susanna Kaysen is admitted to McLean Hospital , in Belmont, Massachusetts , after attempting suicide by overdosing on pills. She denies that it was a suicide attempt to a ... (Wikipedia)

  11. The City of Falling Angels

    by John Berendt
    A non-fictional account of the fire that destroyed the Fenice Opera House in Venice, and the city's eccentric inhabitants.

    The author of Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil returns after more than a decade to give us an intimate look at the "magic, mystery, and decadence" of the city of Venice and its inhabitants. ... (Goodreads)

  12. Henry and June: From "A Journal of Love": The Unexpurgated Diary of Anaïs Nin, 1931-1932

    by Anaïs Nin
    A passionate and scandalous love affair between Anaïs Nin, Henry Miller, and his wife June. A raw and intimate portrayal of their bohemian lifestyle in 1930s Paris.

    At the end of 1931, Nin finds herself dissatisfied with being a timid, faithful wife to her banker husband, Hugh Parker Guiler . Nin and her husband contemplate the possibility of opening their ... (Wikipedia)

  13. The Water is Wide

    by Pat Conroy
    A teacher's journey of helping disadvantaged children escape poverty and ignorance.

    The island is nearly deserted, haunting, beautiful. Across a slip of ocean lies South Carolina. But for the handful of families on Yamacraw Island, America is a world away. For years the people here ... (Goodreads)

  14. Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim

    by David Sedaris
    A humorous collection of autobiographical essays reflecting on family relationships.

    David Sedaris plays in the snow with his sisters. He goes on vacation with his family. He gets a job selling drinks. He attends his brother’s wedding. He mops his sister’s floor. He gives directions ... (Goodreads)

  15. Committed: A Skeptic Makes Peace with Marriage

    by Elizabeth Gilbert
    A candid exploration of marriage, examining its ups and downs with a humorous and skeptical eye.

    At the end of her bestselling memoir Eat, Pray, Love , Elizabeth Gilbert fell in love with Felipe, a Brazilian-born man of Australian citizenship who'd been living in Indonesia when they met. ... (Goodreads)

  16. Salt

    by Nayyirah Waheed
    A lyrical collection of poems about love, loss, identity and truth.

    salt. a literary work. ... (Goodreads)

  17. Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life

    by Anne Lamott
    A witty and honest guide to writing and life, encouraging writers to embrace imperfection and find their own voice.

    A newer edition of this title can be found, here., "Thirty years ago my older brother, who was ten years old at the time, was trying to get a report on birds written that he'd had three months to ... (Goodreads)

  18. The Seat of the Soul

    by Gary Zukav
    Exploring how we can access deeper levels of understanding, transforming our lives through spiritual guidance.

    Argues that humans are evolving from a species that seeks power based on the perception of the senses to one seeking power based on spiritual values. ... (Goodreads)

  19. On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft

    by Stephen King
    A series of personal reflections on the art of writing, and the power of story-telling.

    "Long live the King" hailed Entertainment Weekly upon the publication of Stephen King's On Writing. Part memoir, part master class by one of the bestselling authors of all time, this superb volume is ... (Goodreads)

  20. New and Selected Poems, Volume One

    by Mary Oliver
    A collection of nature-inspired poetry exploring life, death, and love.

    Features previously published and new poems that explore the natural world and how it is connected to human beings and spirituality. ... (Goodreads)

  21. Love Warrior

    by Glennon Doyle Melton
    A woman's story of overcoming past traumas to live an empowered life of love and redemption.

    #1, New York Times, Bestseller Oprah's Book Club 2016 Selection A memoir of marriage and self-discovery by bestselling author Glennon Doyle Melton, Love Warrior is a gorgeous and inspiring account of ... (Goodreads)

  22. Black Boy

    by Richard Wright
    Autobiographical account of a young black man's struggle against racism and oppression.

    A special 75th anniversary edition of Richard Wright's powerful and unforgettable memoir, with a new foreword by John Edgar Wideman and an afterword by Malcolm Wright, the author’s grandson. When it ... (Barnes & Noble)

  23. Assata: An Autobiography

    by Assata Shakur
    A powerful memoir of her struggles and triumphs in the face of racism and oppression.

    On May 2, 1973, Black Panther Assata Shakur (aka JoAnne Chesimard) lay in a hospital, close to death, handcuffed to her bed, while local, state, and federal police attempted to question her about the ... (Goodreads)

  24. The Essential Rumi

    by Rumi
    Collection of the spiritual poet's works, exploring life, love, and the divine.

    This revised and expanded edition of The Essential Rumi includes a new introduction by Coleman Barks and more than 80 never-before-published poems. Through his lyrical translations, Coleman Barks has ... (Barnes & Noble)

  25. All About Love: New Visions

    by bell hooks
    A guide to understanding the power of love and changing perceptions of love in modern society.

    All About Love offers radical new ways to think about love by showing its interconnectedness in our private and public lives. In eleven concise chapters, hooks explains how our everyday notions of ... (Goodreads)

  26. Black Like Me

    by John Howard Griffin
    A white journalist darkens his skin and travels through the segregated South, experiencing racism firsthand.

    THE HISTORY-MAKING CLASSIC ABOUT CROSSING THE COLOR LINE IN AMERICA'S SEGREGATED SOUTH,“One of the deepest, most penetrating documents yet set down on the racial question.”—,Atlanta Journal & ... (Barnes & Noble)

  27. Braving the Wilderness: The Quest for True Belonging and the Courage to Stand Alone

    by Brené Brown
    A journey to find true belonging in an age of increasing polarization.

    #1, NEW YORK TIMES, BESTSELLER - A timely and important book that challenges everything we think we know about cultivating true belonging in our communities, organizations, and culture, from the #1 ... (Goodreads)

  28. Bad Feminist

    by Roxane Gay
    A collection of essays exploring feminism, race, and gender, and their intersections.

    Pink is my favorite color. I used to say my favorite color was black to be, cool, but it is pink—all shades of pink. If I have an accessory, it is probably pink. I read, Vogue, and I’m not doing it ... (Goodreads)

  29. Left to Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust

    by Immaculée Ilibagiza
    True story of a woman's faith and resilience in the face of the Rwandan genocide.

    Immaculee Ilibagiza grew up in a country she loved, surrounded by a family she cherished. But in 1994 her idyllic world was ripped apart as Rwanda descended into a bloody genocide. Immaculee’s family ... (Goodreads)