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Letter to My Daughter

3.98 of 5 stars 3.98 · rating details · 4,646 ratings · 686 reviews

Dedicated to the daughter she never had but sees all around her, Letter to My Daughter reveals Maya Angelou’s path to living well and living a life with meaning. Here in short spellbinding essays are glimpses of the tumultuous life that taught Angelou lessons in compassion and fortitude: how she was brought up by her indomitable grandmother in segregated Arkansas, taken in...more

Paperback, 192 pages

Published October 27th 2009 by Random House Trade Paperbacks (first published September 10th 1994)

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Oct 27, 2008 Tamara rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: non-fiction, memoir-bio

Reading Maya Angelou is like getting a big hug on a bad day. She has the most comforting voice, and may be the wisest person I can think of. I want to be like her when I grow up.

Favorite Quotes:

Make every effort to change things you do not like. If you cannot make a change, change the way you have been thinking.

I remind myself it is sufficient to know what I know, and that what I know, may not always be true.

[I] try to be present and accountable for all I do and leave undone.

21 likes · like · see review

Feb 17, 2013 Lígia Bibliomigalhas rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: estante

A sinopse diz tudo, ou quase tudo, sobre este pequeno livrinho que me proporcionou algumas horas de uma leitura serena e tranquila, embalada pela voz da autora, como se Maya Angelou estivesse mesmo ali, a falar-me da sua vida e das pequenas grandes lições que foi aprendendo ao longo de vários episódios e que quer partilhar com todas as suas "filhas".
Trata-se não só de uma história de vida, mas também de um pequeno livro de instruções para a vida. Pequenos textos escritos de uma forma intimista e...more

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Oct 10, 2008 EJ rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: memoir

Angelou's book, Letter to My Daughter caught my eye immediately as I was browsing the shelves at Barnes and Noble. I picked it up and settled in a comfy chair with my latte and my soon to be good friend Maya. I was ready for advice, wisdom, love and experiences from a woman who has lived many more lives than I could ever imagine. Not to mention one who puts it so eloquently.

It is a craving of 20somethings to be gently advised in life from those who have already gone through the same struggles. I...more

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Jan 09, 2009 Elizabeth rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Go ahead and judge me, I listned to this as an itunes audio file. But! with good reason. This is Maya Angelous's life story - her different trials and triumphs that have made her the woman in our history that should be so reveered. I found it fitting to listen to her tell her own story. Although, so much of this quick read is profound that I will also be getting the hard copy so that I can study her words and teachings.

pay note to her discussion on faith and god.
her coverage of race
her own dark...more

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Nov 06, 2008 Miyanni 4sho rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: first-quarter

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jan 29, 2009 Elevate Difference rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Maya Angelou's Letter to My Daughter is a beautiful tribute replete with lessons for younger generations of women. The prolific autobiographer chronicles her travels abroad in Europe and Africa and writes of the indignities and trials she faces at home. Every story provides a nugget of truth, its profundity startling and plainly humbling.

The volume is somewhat chronological; however, this does not make the writing any less lucid. There is no original moral. Angelou reminds us to count our bless...more Maya Angelou's Letter to My Daughter is a beautiful tribute replete with lessons for younger generations of women. The prolific autobiographer chronicles her travels abroad in Europe and Africa and writes of the indignities and trials she faces at home. Every story provides a nugget of truth, its profundity startling and plainly humbling.

The volume is somewhat chronological; however, this does not make the writing any less lucid. There is no original moral. Angelou reminds us to count our blessings and to love our mothers and to believe in ourselves.

There is a sometimes nagging, often outright discomfort in Angelou’s descriptions of events in the ‘60s and '70s. In one account, Angelou believes she is facing a mental breakdown and seeks professional help. However, she says, "There was a young white man behind a desk... [I thought:] how could this privileged young white man understand the heart of a black woman who was sick with guilt because she left her little black son for others to raise."

The remark is shocking. For a moment, one forgets Angelou’s personal tribulations and learns of this broader context that unravels the self-conscious of a young mother.

Indeed, Angelou's stories are best at her most vulnerable moments. She recounts her trip to Morocco where she encounters a band of nomads who offer her coffee. As she drinks the coffee, she is tempted to spit it out because she senses that there are four cockroaches in it. Out of respect for her hosts, she does not. Angelou is sick for a month. Later, however, she reads an article in Reader’s Digest. Apparently, nomadic tribes are poor but spend what little money they have to buy raisins to place in the coffee of their guests.

She writes, "For a few minutes I felt that I wanted to stoop below the old men in Morocco and beg their pardon." The words are so heartfelt and immediately engage the sympathy of the reader.

If only this were true of the entire work. In many ways, this book is an odd compilation of ends and bits that do not fit neatly into Angelou's other narratives. She begins in such a powerful vein and presents many of her views on decency and self-respect. However, one must acknowledge how self-indulgent some chapters are. At times, Angelou’s remarks seem like a long overdue justification for some deed or the other. Her description of the incident with the Moroccans fits this description.

Yet, Angelou succeeds in her mission. She writes a wonderful letter to her daughters of the world and produces an overall enjoyable read.

Review by Anita Sonawane(less)

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Nov 24, 2008 Kate rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Great book, quick read. Maya Angelou is so witty, I never realized! She is also so inspirational and genuine.

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Sep 03, 2012 Harun Harahap rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: memoir-biografi, non-fiksi, punya, terjemahan

Sudah lama gue ingin mengenal sosok Maya Angelou. Pribadi yang begitu dikagumi oleh Oprah Winfrey. Gue ingin tahu seberapa hebat wanita ini hingga wanita hebat lainnya begitu memujanya. Yang gue lihat di televisi, di usia tuanya dia begitu bijaksana dan rendah hati. Terima kasih Gagas Media yang menerbitkan buku ini.

Maya Angelou seorang perempuan afrika-amerika yang bangga sebagai seorang keturunan afrika. Ditambah lagi dengan bangga sebagai warga negara Amerika (Serikat). Beliau adalah salah sa...more

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Jul 04, 2012 Nada rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Review first published on my blog: http://memoriesfrombooks.blogspot.com...

Letter to My Daughter is a collection of short essays by Maya Angelou - bits of opinion and advice drawn from and explained using different incidents in her life. Maya Angelou gave birth to one son. Yet, this letter is to her daughter - or really daughters - each and every one of us.

The book itself is short and can easily be read in one sitting. Each essay is brief and can lend itself to a quick read here and there. A gen...more

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Dec 08, 2011 Shahine Ardeshir added it · review of another edition

This book was an unlikely choice for me to pick up in the first place. I remember first being introduced to Maya Angelou on the Oprah Winfrey Show, and finding her incredibly wise. Not intelligent, but almost like an Ent (from Tolkien’s ‘The Lord of the Rings’, for the uninitiated of you) – full of earthy, old-wordly wisdom. I was impressed enough to give her book a try.

I chose ‘Letter to My Daughter’ because her acclaimed autobiography (I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings) sounded too heavy, and mu...more This book was an unlikely choice for me to pick up in the first place. I remember first being introduced to Maya Angelou on the Oprah Winfrey Show, and finding her incredibly wise. Not intelligent, but almost like an Ent (from Tolkien’s ‘The Lord of the Rings’, for the uninitiated of you) – full of earthy, old-wordly wisdom. I was impressed enough to give her book a try.

I chose ‘Letter to My Daughter’ because her acclaimed autobiography (I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings) sounded too heavy, and much of her other work is poetry, for which my tolerance does extend to a whole volume.

The nicest thing about this book is that it is broken down into 20 odd short sections. The topics were varied – descriptions of events, theoretical ponderings on particular subjects, political and even religious opinions occasionally. A bit like a festival of one-act plays I recently attended, the format safe-guards you from anything too difficult, dark or dull: by the time you’re switching off, the chapter’s over.

That being said, the read wasn’t difficult or dull. Maya Angelou writes mainly of her own life and the entries are in many ways charting through her life itself. And from all accounts, it sounds like she’s lived an interesting one! So it makes for an engaging read.

Where I lose her, to be honest is one, in her tendency to lapse into prose – which, as I explained earlier, is not something I can pay attention to in written form for all that long. Two, in her over-emphasis on race, black people and their struggle. As an Indian, who’s never been discriminated against at that, I’m not trying to undermine that that experience would impact anyone’s life, tremendously – it’s just that I don’t want to hear about it so blatantly, all the time. For someone who’s so wise and seems to have such a wide variety of interests and friends, it would be great if she took the word ‘African American’ out of her diction.

Overall, an interesting read but not a phenomenal one. I finished it over two sittings: one at the airport and one on the flight. So like I said, if you want to experiment with this, go ahead – it won’t take you too long. Was it one of the best books I’ve read and would I voraciously recommend it? No. Was it more thought-provoking that the latest Rolling Stone would have been? Probably. Judge for yourself!(less)

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Aug 15, 2010 Rachel rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I guess I haven't really read Maya Angelou before so I may not have acquired the taste for her writing and the requisite knowledge of the form to understand this book. I often feel this way upon encountering poetry (adult contemporary poetry--I can handle Ogden Nash and Shel Silverstein and a variety of poems we had to memorize in high school English). Though this book is mostly prose, the stylization of the prose is not my favorite (or perhaps I should say it is not in my comfort zone). The boo...more

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Nov 01, 2011 Jessica rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Females of any age

Recommended to Jessica by: Gift from my mother

“Letter to My Daughter”
By Maya Angelou

This book contains many short essays written by Angelou. Each one is different, even though in some way they do connect to each other. She is speaking to the daughter she never had about lessons she’s learned in her life, and how they’ve affected her, and how they were useful to her. Containing many events that will touch someone’s life.

This is one of the most inspiring books I’ve read. This book was actually a gift from my mom. I think what caught my att...more

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Dec 09, 2009 Gianna added it · review of another edition

Shelves: 10th-grade-advisory

Letter to my Daughter
Maya Angelou
192pp
Random House
1400066123

This is not so much of a book but more of a guide to woman. Maya Angelou gives her advice to woman, how she got through her life as a woman. How to defend yourself, how to be yourself,etc. These short stories are focused on the difficult things that Angelou had to go through to become the woman she is today. She believes that any woman can do it but all you need to do is believe in your self

If your feeling lost or just need a little ins...more

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Oct 19, 2011 Therese rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

(Read 5/2009). My mother recently sent me a copy of Maya Angelou's book "Letter to My Daughter." I have been reading it slowly over the last month or so, since it is comprised of little vignettes only a few pages each, I could pick it up and put it down whenever I wanted. Usually after I finish a book that I was given I donate it to the local library; but, I am keeping this one (sorry library, but you have a copy so don't hate me). It is filled with so many treasures that I can access again and...more

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Dec 06, 2008 Lesley rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: non-fiction

I enjoyed reading another Maya Angelou book, though I must admit that this one was a little "fluffier" in some places than expected. Other chapters were very frank and real, especially about her younger years. I was glad to learn a bit more about how she grew up; it made me admire her more. I can understand now why she seems like such a strong person, as this book reveals some of the strong influences in her life. One of my favorite chapters was about her adult life, when she first visited Wake...more

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May 28, 2012 Paula rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Bought this as a gift to my own daughter... as well as purchasing a copy for myself. Some excerpts:

Write down your blessing. The ship of my life may or may not be sailing on calm and amiable seas. The challenging days of my existence may or may not be bright and promising. Stormy or sunny days, glorious or lonely nights, I maintain an attitude of gratitude. If I insist on being pessimistic, there is always tomorrow. Today I am blessed.

I am never proud to participate in violence, yet, I know tha...more

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Apr 17, 2010 Robby rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

In eighth grade I wrote a report on Maya Angelou. My teacher and I had some of the greatest conversations I have ever had with anyone about this woman. Before I read anything she’s written, I knew her whole life story. I knew of the things she has been through, and I fell in love with her.
I bought this book for my mom, for Christmas. She hasn’t read it yet, because she’s been so busy, but it’s okay with me that she hasn’t had the time. I picked this book up on Thursday night and started reading....more

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Jan 18, 2009 Mary Markis rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A quick and easy read. Maya gives some great insight to several facets in life, supported by personal experience and perspective.

Favorite quote from the book shed light into challenges I currently am presented with in my own life:

"When I find myself filling with rage over the loss of a beloved, I try as soon as possible to remember that my concerns and questions should be focused on what I learned or what I have yet to learn from my departed love. What legacy was left which can help me in teh a...more

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Apr 06, 2009 Ezra rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Ever wanted inspiration after lunch, words of wisdom, life experiences with a point? Well read Maya Angelous's book of letters to the individuals out in the world because this is the exact book that'll settle your mind from the bumping bags in the hall way into serentity and bliss. (well maybe not all of that but some!) This book weere simply letters written to the reader to expose us to the truth of lives obstacles and needed finds. It lead syou into the way Angleous mind thinks and how she wa...more

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Dec 03, 2008 Anne rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is a kind of "Everything I Needed to Know I Learned in Kindergarten" collection of thoughts and wisdom from Maya Angelou to the daughter she never had (biologically, that is). It is a hodge-podge of essays, poems and random thought based on Angelou's life experiences. It is at times preachy and judgmental, but alas, beautifully written. And, of course, there is truth in each of Angelou's pieces of advice. Most of her advice is of the "suck it up and endure" variety, and while she recounts c...more

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Dec 09, 2008 Jamie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: mostly women, but anyone willing to take knowledge from another.

I have only recently begun to have an active interest in literature published by Dr. Maya Angelou, but this book definitely intensifies my interest. This book was very interesting, to say the very least. You have to respect an elderly woman who is willing to put a few of life's lessons down on paper for others to read. Her words are eloquent; she uses shorts stories, essays, poetry, and quotations to reminisce about her life and the lessons that she has learned through her experiences. The stori...more

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Sep 17, 2012 Lola rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed, inspirational, contemporary-classic

I was at a garage sale with my mom when I stumbled across this. Recognizing the author's name and knowing it was only costing me 50 cents made this an instant sell.

While I can say I haven't wasted 50 cents, I can't say I would buy this full price. Maya Angelou is a wonderful writer, to be sure, but maybe this isn't her best work. This is my first time reading her, and I'm not sure that she lived up to the hype. There are some beautiful snippets in here, verses that just grab your heart, but i...more

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Aug 21, 2011 Kristi rated it 4 of 5 stars

Maya Angelou's free spirt, love of life and strength is contagiously inspiring. I want to be a better person after reading this book. What a gift she imparts on her readers. She seems to be all that I am not, but has sparked in me the desire to be what I can be. I do admit that I feel my little life is so different from hers - mush less colorful, lively and interesting. Part of me longs to be as outrageously wonderful! I loved the variety of these short, easy-to-read essays. My favorite was how...more

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Aug 13, 2010 Robin rated it 5 of 5 stars

August 13: I finished this book last night, but am not sure that I should tag the book as "read" since I immediately started it over again at the beginning. The format is lovely - a series of short essays, 2-3 pages each of "lessons learned"; some stories, some poetry.

The author's thoughts about charity were inspiring. Aside from being willing to share tangible resources, she reminds us that "to be charitable with gestures and words can bring enormous joy and repair injured feelings." And that "...more

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Nov 23, 2008 Jennifer rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

What a beautiful book. I appreciated the wisdom and love that seemed to emanate from this work. It seems amazing to me that so much wisdom can be wrapped up in one woman and I can only hope that after a lifetime of living I will have an ounce of what she possesses. What resonated the most with me was the idea of not having your circumstances or the events of your life reduce you to a miserable being. I've had a rough year and this book reinforced the lessons I've learned this year- that I can da...more

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Oct 28, 2011 jamie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I've admired Maya Angelou long before i read her beautifully written memoir, "I know why the caged bird sings." Even though this book is short and some stories are taken from her memoirs, i still enjoyed her words of wisdom and advice. I love the story when she was encouraged by a very wise man to thank God that she can see because there are millions that can't see, to thank God because she can hear because there are millions that can't hear, etc. She says that if you can't change a situation, c...more

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Mar 03, 2009 Linda rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: to every woman

I once heard Maya Angelou read from her most famous book “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.” Her presence is commanding her voice thick with empathy and deep understanding of life. She was in the looking back phase at that time and I was deeply moved by her insights. As a parting note she has penned a letter to the daughters she never had, whether they be black, white or a nice mocha color. My own mother’s recent passing made her honest, soulful, revealing, unique well of ancient wisdom even more...more

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Dec 21, 2008 Julie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

It would be impossible to say what all I learned from this book. It will be one to keep close as my journey continues. I have read nearly all of Angelou's published books, so many characters and stories were familiar to me already. This book carefully selects from those experiences to offer the concise and meditative feel of a poem, condensed and more impactful, leaving a lingering need to reflect and somehow apply. My favorite pieces were the memories of her own mother, a few stories that in ju...more

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Jul 08, 2012 Leonie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Oh my, where do i begin? The first time i read this book. I called around and begged all my friends who has girls to purchase this book for their daughters. I absolutely enjoyed this book, it was as if you were being schooled by your mother or an older knowledgeable female family memeber. My favourite quotes in this book are: " Never Whine. Whining lets a brute know that a victim in in the neighborhood" & "I am never proud to participate in violence, yet i know that each of us must care enou...more

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May 27, 2009 Cheri rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Witty, heartbreaking and inspiring, Letter to My Daughter is a loose collection of essays and poems relating lessons learned on the bumpy road of life. Maya Angelou is graceful and endearing as she writes of the struggles she faced growing up and the casual coincidences that can alter a life.

The first half, chronicling her earlier years, is more compelling than the second, which drags a little. A very quick read (each chapter is only a few pages), it was gone in an hour, yet the stories lingere...more

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About Maya Angelou

Maya Angelou, born Marguerite Ann Johnson April 4, 1928 in St. Louis, Missouri, is an American poet, memoirist, actress and an important figure in the American Civil Rights Movement. In 2001 she was named one of the 30 most powerful women in America by Ladies Home Journal. Maya Angelou is known for her series of six autobiographies, starting with I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, (1969 which was no...more

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Quotes from Letter to My Daughter

“You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them.” — 3,263 people liked it

“Be a rainbow in someone else's cloud.” — 1,394 people liked it

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