In this sequel to 'I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings', Maya Angelou describes her life as an unemployed young mother in California, turning to prostitution and the world of narcotics. Maya Angelou's volumes of autobiography are a testament to the talents and resilience of this extraordinary writer. Loving the world, she also knows its cruelty. As a black woman she has known discrimination and extreme poverty, but also hope, joy, achievement and celebration.