“Engrossing and vital, rich and funny and wise . . . Angelou writes like a song, and like the truth.”—The New York Times Book Review
“The book is a gem. It presents a descriptive picture of the texture of the lives and times of many black people in the late forties before the dawn of civil rights. It is so insightful and funny-sad, you catch yourself remembering your own young adulthood.”—Chicago Tribune
“Rich, engaging . . . Angelou tells the story of this dauntless, reckless, foolish girl with few flourishes; it doesn’ t need them.”—The New Yorker
“Angelou’s stature as a writer, a woman, a black, grows, walks tall.”—Kirkus Reviews
“A heroic and beautiful book.” —Cleveland Plain Dealer.
“This is the story of a great heroine who knows the meaning of a struggle and never loses her pride or dignity. Indeed, her story makes me proud of the human race.” —John Oliver Killens
