The Heart of a Woman

In The Heart of a Woman, Maya Angelou leaves California and moves to New York with her son, Guy. She enters the society and world of black artists and writers, reads her work at the Harlem Writers Guild, and begins to take part in the struggle of black Americans for their rightful place in the world. In the meantime, her personal life takes an unexpected turn. She leaves the bail bondsman she had planned to marry after falling in love with a South African freedom fighter, travels to London and Cairo, where she finds new opportunities. The Heart of a Woman is filled with unforgettable vignettes of such renowned people as Billie Holiday and Malcolm X, but perhaps most importantly chronicles a Black mother's joys and burdens in America and how her son grew to be a man.