The haunting story of Angelou's childhood in the American South in the 1930s. If this is one you've been meaning to read, give the audio version a try: Angelou's lilting voice brings her powerful, touching story to life.

Picking up where I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings left off, this second volume of Maya Angelou's autobiographical series starts at the end of World War II, an optimistic time. But for Angelou, it's a difficult few years. Angelou is in her teens with a baby son. She goes through men and through jobs and tries to go home again–but finds it no longer a fit. The Chicago Tribune calls this "funny-sad." Angelou writes here with her usual sense of dignity, humor, triumph, and wisdom.