LETTER TO MY DAUGHTER

With the careful phrasing and emphatic pacing of a poet, Angelou offers her meditations on life to the many daughters she's never had—yet considers to be her extended family. Angelou's voice is deep and distinctive, yet familiar sounding, and her wide-ranging, often autobiographical reflections on life provide much food for thought. Listening, one imagines her picking her way, serenely, across a sometimes-stony but often unexpectedly delightful road. Whether she's reminiscing about family, race, intercultural embarrassment, or losing loved ones, Angelou is thoughtful but not preachy, wise but never heavy-handed. This collection of essays cuts across the genre, defying easy categorization. Part poem, part memoir (there's even a little song tucked in), the production, unified by Angelou's marvelously distinctive and original voice, is wholly delightful. J.C.G. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award, 2009 Audies Finalist © AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine [Published: FEBRUARY 2009]