In this book, Angelou details what brought her mother to send her away, and unearths the well of emotions she experienced long afterward as a result. For the first time, she reveals the triumphs and struggles of being the daughter of Vivian Baxter, an indomitable spirit whose petite size belied her larger-than-life presence, a presence absent during much of the author's early life. When her marriage began to crumble, Vivian famously sent three-year-old...

An autobirography of Richard Wright's journey from innocence to experience in the Him Crow South.

A continuation of Maya Angelou's autobiography "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings," picking up in her teen years just after the birth of her son.

A continuation of the autobiographical series by the author of "I know why the caged bird sings" and "Gather together in my name." Tells of her failed marriage to a white man, her theatrical career, and of her relationship with her son.

"Amistad." Author Walter Dean Myers describes his childhood in Harlem in the 1940s and 1950s, discussing his loving stepmother, his problems in school, his reasons for leaving home, and his beginnings as a writer.

Author Laura Numeroff, whose first book, "Amy for Short," grew out of a college assignment, recounts her life and describes how her daily activities and creative process are interwoven.

A biography of the African-American writer, well-known for her novels and collections of folklore.

A black youth growing up in the Jim Crow South is brutally taught his place in life by his family.

An account of the 1963 death of the author's father describes how her mother, three sisters, and she were financially dependent on her father's wages and how their loss and Catholic faith resonated the experiences of the nation.

The author describes his motorcycle journey through Minnesota and the Rockies to the Alaskan Highway, recalling the events in his life that have made him the man he is today.