Mom & Me & Mom

I enjoyed this so much, because, she writes with words that I would use every day. When, she describes the time spent with her mother, it makes me cry; because, I really understand! I think most daughters have a love/hate relationship with Mom.

This book is an extremely simple, yet honest and compelling narrative. It will not win great literary awards, but it is a story that many will find inspiring, and it is the type book that one might return to for strength, wisdom and most of all love.

Having not been raised by my mother i really understand how important it is to have a strong woman in your life...I'm a wife and mother now to three kids one being a girl and this book is making me realize to be more supportive of her and Her dreams. Not my dreams for her!!

I enjoyed reading this book. I wish there was more. I especially liked the relation ship she had with her brother. The love between them. It reminds me of the love I have for my brother Terry. Another good read from MAYA A.

Maya Angelou's new book was interesting and full of surprises. It left me wanting more! I thought I knew everything about this phonemenal woman but it turns out that there was much more to know. It is a great and quick read for anyone who enjoys reading about real life.

When I first start reading this book I thought her mom was crazy. Then after really getting in to it I realize that this book is about a mom who loved her children to life. The best love story ever. Well done Ms. Angelou

Ms. Angelou never fails in providing me joy in the reading of her lyrical written words. All I can say is thank you to her for sharing her blessing of being able to comfort, chastise, uplift,and so much more with her words. Margaret V

This was a well-written book about the role of a mother- not just for young children, but for young adults as they mature. The author could see her mother differently at different stages of both of their lives.

Maya Angelou is the most inspiring woman alive today. To read her life in her own words was a journey of discovery of the pain and success that resulted in the poet and writer who has added so much to my own life and understanding. This is not to be missed.

MOM & ME & MOM Very interesting reading about Maya life history and interactions with her Mother, there was a few thing that I was surprise reading, I live Maya, she is a great women of wisdom and very independent.

If you like Maya Angelou's works you will love to read about this author . Maya rose to an amazing level despite a different growing up. This book give s you some insight into the life of this wonderful author.

I love anything that MS. Angelou writes. I know so much more about her. I finished this in one sitting. The only thing I can say is the cover surprised me. It seemed as though someone copied it. The cover did not look like it was advertised in the store.

Mom & Me & Mom was a wonderful book. I recommend it to anyone. The pages were clear and precise. Maya Angelou had a difficult and adventurous life. I could not stop reading until I finish the book.

5 months pregnant and wondering if I'm going to have a baby boy or girl. Scared to have a girl I came across this book and fell in love. I am no longer scared in what I can offer as a parent. Boy or girl I am happy to become a mother

This book was empowering!!! It encouraged me, motivated me, it gave me hope, this book was defiant, and it is filed with love!!! I could not put the book down! She is a great writer and she is funny too!!!!! Amazing story!!!

A great read and as a mother to young children, it's very encouraging to know that you don't have to get it right every time. You can still help your children to achieve greatness simply by filling the gap between their known and unknown.

Thank you Dr. Angelou for writing this beautiful homage to your mother. I laughed and cried as I read it for I too was truly loved by my mother whom I miss so much. I felt the deep abiding LOVE that you have for your mother and I now feel as though I know you and her by God's Spirit. Thank you for sharing a very sacred part of yourself with the world....with me. Vivian Baxter's moxy and your gracefulness inspire me. I'm realizing that I'm not a young woman anymore, turning 49 next month. You and Mom have helped me to know it's okay. I'm just going to embrace aging, running on with my daughter Zoe Salome who I had at 41! I love you Dr. Angelou.

Marilyn Shackelford of Winston Salem, N C

I knew from the moment I heard this book was coming out that I wanted to read it. I knew that I wanted to read this book when I read the title. Amazing work and truth. Thank you for telling this story.

This book is a very easy read yet very inspiring giving a glimpse into Maya's childhood and showing that your circumstance do not have to keep you away from your success and the blessing that God has in store for you.

Perhaps I was hoping for something different. I didn't find that here. I've been a fan of Ms. Angelou for many years, but was disappointed with the content of this book. This seemed to be a compilation of stories from other books. This was like sitting with an old person who wants to tell you the same thing for the 7th time. You enjoy their presence since your time left with them is limited; however, truthfully, you'd rather be somewhere else.

A beautiful book about the relationship with her mother as a child and later as an adult. Very different relationship she experienced as a child then as an adult and she tells very lovingly of the healing she experienced.

Could not really get into this book even though it was touted both in download and hard cover....i am a fan of Maya's poetry but her life story seems to be just another version of a poor, impoverished black (African-American?) woman with a disturbing childhood!

All in all, not a very interesting read.....

Perhaps it was me I was hoping that this was more about Maya Angelou's Mom and it really did not give any in depth understanding of her. Her mother seem to be equally fascinating but you got broad strokes nothing indepth. This story was more of Maya Angelou's young life.

Reading this book was awesome how Maya's mother had the power to be known for things around her and because she was black. I respect these ladies very much and may they both Rest In Peace. I read this book and realized this was the last book of her novels and now I have downloaded the first book....Thank you for sharing it was great just can't describe how interesting these two ladies lived their lives to where they got and what they went through....Power to them...

The book was informational about her young life many stories told previously. It just did not flow well it was a bunch of stories complied together with missing holes over periods of time. Her mother was an interesting character learning about her was insightful.

First book by Maya Angelou I have read. The book gives insight into her early life and how and why she became such a success. I think her relational with her mother and her son give the reader food for thought. The book was an easy read and went fast. Now that I know more about the author I will read more of her books.

It's amazing how much you don't know about a person! Maya Angelou has been through so much in her lifetime, it was unbelievable
to imagine. She really told a great story about her life and her family, and I still love and respect her!

MAYA WORKS HAVE ALWAYS ENCOURAGED ME TO MOVE FORWARD IN MY LIFE AND I HONOR HER TODAY AS SHE IS NOW IS ONE OF THE GREAT ANGELS OF THE UNIVERSE. MAY I CONTINUE TO HEAR HER WORDS LOUD AND CLEAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This review will make me hugely unpopular, I know....but Maya Angelou's many talents do not, in my opinion, extend to writing books. It was a choppy, difficult read that was written on a 5th grade level. Not at all what I expected from such an orally eloquent person.

I didn't like this book. Didn't think the writing was good. Tired of reading about people who had terrible childhoods and now are miraculous. Disjointed writing. Jumped around--hard to follow. 12 Years a Slave--Now that's an example of a black man who had a wonderful command of the English language.

I chose this book because it was mentioned on the Oprah,Masters Class program. The book was an easy read, just was not one of Maya's best written work. I was hoping to find something special and useful, as I have go in in her other books, but unfortunately this book was not that.
I perpendicular this book to anyone who is just curious about the mother of Maya Angelo and the relationship that she had with her mother. It is a decent tribute to her mother.

This book was okay -- I never cared for Maya much and I did learn a lot from this publication. I am always amazed when someone like her is written about and with such flowery language as to make her seem like a beautiful person in and out. There are always things that cannot be covered up but this publication did a good job of disguising the real person.

I have been a fan of Maya Angelou's for several years now. So when the opportunity arose to review her latest installment in her collection of memoirs, I knew I just had to read it. After reading I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings, I've often wondered about Maya's relationship with her mother and if the two would reconcile and come to terms with past experiences and choices made. When the two are reunited it marks the beginning of a long journey towards acceptance and unconditional love filled with heart-break and laughter along the way. In classic Angelou style, the prose is rhythmic, comforting, and overall inspiring. Angelou reveals many of her own faulty choices in life and proves once again, that we are all human and often we find ourselves doing what needs to be done to get by. However, Angelou clings to her dreams and follows them wherever they may lead her and in the end, it's her mother's love, support, and guidance that sees her through it all. A remarkable story of love between and a mother and a daughter. I would highly recommend this and easily give it FIVE stars!

Maya Angelou (born Marguerite Annie Johnson) was an African-American poet, singer, actress, writer, director, producer, composer, and civil rights activist. Angelou wrote a series of seven autobiographies, of which "Mom & Me & Mom" - published when Angelou was 85-years-old - is the last. This final memoir concentrates on Angelou's relationship with her mother, Vivian Baxter, a petite but formidable woman who helped make Angelou the strong independent woman she was.

Angelou's mother Vivian was born in St. Louis, Missouri in 1912, and brought up by a father who encouraged his kids not to take any crap from anyone and to (literally) fight everyone who crossed them. Even as a child, little Vivian wielded a hefty stick and tussled alongside her big brothers. So it's not surprising that Vivian, who was a trained nurse, eventually ran casinos in Alaska and joined the Merchant Marines - unusual jobs for women (especially black women) in the first half of the 20th century.

Vivian and her husband, Bailey Johnson, had two children - Bailey Jr. (born in 1927) and Maya (born in 1928).

The Johnsons divorced when the siblings were 5 and 3, and the kids were sent to live with their paternal grandmother, Annie Henderson, in Stamps, Arkansas. The children stayed in Stamps until Bailey became a teenager and began to rebel against the 'entitled' white population. Fearing for Bailey's safety, Henderson brought the children to their mother in San Francisco, California. Maya was angry at her mom for abandoning her as a toddler, and refused to address Vivian as 'Mother' for years.....instead calling her 'Lady.'

Angelou gave birth to her son Guy when she was 17, after purposely losing her virginity to a handsome neighborhood lothario. Vivian's calm acceptance of her daughter's pregnancy - and her assistance with the birth - apparently warmed Maya's heart.....and she started to call Vivian 'Mother.'

As a teenager, Angelou - with the support of her mother, got a job as the first black conductoress on a San Francisco streetcar. Afterwards young Maya, lithe and six feet tall, had a variety of jobs, including: restaurant cook; singer/dancer in a strip club; and actress in a a traveling production of 'Porgy and Bess.' Uncertain about working in a nightclub, Angelou sought her mother's advice, and Vivian helped design costumes that were just revealing enough. ?

Angelou covers her schooling in other books, but - over the years - she learned about literature, writing, music, theatre, dancing, and so on.

Angelou seems to have had some bad luck with men, and talks about two abusive relationships: one with a jealous boyfriend who beat her to a pulp and locked her in his apartment - from which her mother rescued her; and one with her first husband Tosh Angelos who she married in 1951 and divorced in 1954 - much to her mother's relief.

Vivian also 'came to the rescue' when Angelou's screenplay for the 1972 movie "Georgia, Georgia" was being filmed in Sweden. The writer's presence on the movie set apparently made the actors nervous, and she was asked to make herself scarce. Feeling like an outcast, Angelou called her mom, who immediately flew to Stockholm. Vivian charmed the actors with her delicious dinners and wonderful stories, and Angelou felt more accepted because 'her mother had her back.'

It's clear from Angelou's anecdotes that she grew very close to her mother, who supported Maya's life and career every step of the way.

Maya Angelou and her mother Vivian Baxter

Angelou also writes about some of her difficult experiences, like being raped at the age of eight, during a rare stay at her mother's home. Maya revealed the rapist's name, after which he was killed.....probably by Maya's uncles. This led to Maya's refusing to speak (except to her brother) for five years, because 'her voice was powerful enough to kill a man.'

Angelou also talks about living on the streets for a summer, after being attacked by her father's wife during a visit. Maya slept in junkyard cars and scrounged food - along with other teens who lived the same way - before finally returning to her mother's home in San Francisco.

In addition to tales about her mother, Angelou tells many stories about her brother and son - both of whom she adored.

I listened to the audiobook, narrated by the author with no drama or hyperbole....so one might be lulled into thinking Angelou had an ordinary life. Of course nothing could be farther from the truth as Angelou was a remarkable woman....and this book tells part of her extraordinary story.

I enjoyed "Mom & Me & Mom" and highly recommend it.

Mom & Me & Mom is Maya Angelou's 7th and final autobiography. For the first time in her books, Angelou addresses the relationship she had with her biological mother, Vivian Baxter. Abandoned by her mother prior to the age of 13, Angelou's relationship to Baxter will obviously be complex. I wasn't expecting a full transition from resentment and distrust to unconditional love and acceptance between both women through these pages. But it happened. And it was gorgeous.

I adore the exploration of mother/daughter relationships. Honestly, I don't feel like they are explored enough in literature; fiction or non-fiction. Listening to Angelou describe the complex emotions she felt and dissect them in such an open way. I felt like I was in a room with Angelou discussing these situations face to face. Her honesty is refreshing and startling. Her stories are direct and to the point. Reading these pages, I felt as through I was reading a love story rather than a memoir.

Overall, the biggest criticism of Mom & Me & Mom is that many of these stories have been told before in her previous autobiographies. Having never read other Angelou books, I cannot speak to this. However, I imagine that these stories have a different twist on them now that we are focusing on her relationship with Vivian Baxter. After all, can you imagine having enough interesting life stories to fill 7 fill length books? I know I am certainly not that interesting. But, who is to say, really? What I do know is that I believe Baxter passed on without Angelou truly understanding everything her mother had to offer-- and that's saying something.

A simply written autobiography, Mom & Me & Mom is a touching and powerful memoir; an emotional minefield Angelou traverses with grace. I strongly recommend this to lovers of memoirs, mother/daughter relationships, and Maya Angelou's works.

I read Mom and Me in 2013.

Maya Angelou, was born in 1928, in St. Louis Missouri, and raised in Stamps Arkansas by her grandmother, after her parents dissolved their relationship. The name, Maya Angelou, was a consolidation of her childhood nickname and a shortened form of her married name. Maya Angelou not only scripted her name, she scripted a successful life as a multi-talented, dancer, performer, director and world famous author.

During the course of Maya Angelou’s self-made life, she became a civil rights activist and close friend of Martin Luther King, and James Baldwin, all during the early 1960’s; later becoming a friend-mentor to one of the greatest personages of our century, Oprah Winfrey.
The autobiographical memoir, I Know Why the Caged Bird sings, was the first of many memoirs. Mom and Me was the last. The story of the relationship forged between the two powerhouse women, Maya Angelou and her mother Vivian Baxter, covers several decades, from the racially segregated and tumultuous years in The South, to the California years spent with her mother as a young teenager.
The power of Maya Angelou’s mother’s influence upon her life journey was not completely realized by the author until after her mother’s death. As is the case with most of us, it is only after the years of life experience that our personal introspection can match our external analysis of the world we inhabit; therefore, Mom and Me was written as the last autobiographical book of the great author.
It is through the pages of Mom and Me that we discover the subtleties of life created by the strain between the dominant white culture and black subculture that fueled the strong determination to not only merely survive , but thrive, by Vivian Baxter. In a short excerpt of Mom and Me, Maya Angelou’s mother encouraged her to persevere when faced with rejection based on race, and when Maya succeeded in becoming the first female and first black person to secure the job, Maya’s mother asked her what she had learned by her unrelenting determination:
Angelou gave the simple answer which was that she learned she was not afraid to work, and that was “about all”, at which her mother corrected her by pointing out the deeper lesson.
“No, you learned that you have power”. The awareness of personal power was perhaps one of the greatest gifts bestowed upon Angelou by her mother. The acutely attuned sense of self-perception, and the strong inner drive that was forged by Angelou’s mother and grandmother, was transferred to Angelou during her formative years. The strength, resilience, fearlessness, and courage of Maya Angelou became the trademark character traits that defined her as a public figure, and served her for a lifetime. It was Angelou’s mother, Vivian who moved her to think ‘large thoughts’ and to dream big. Without Vivian, there would not have been a Maya.

In order to fully appreciate the journey of Maya Angelou, you must read Mom and Me, because it is more than the last memoir of Maya Angelou, it is a window into the development of a cultural phenomenon. The ultimate lesson is the positive force of parent upon child is never to be underestimated.

Book: Mom & Me & Mom
Author: Maya Angelou
Rating: 4 Out of 5 Stars

Another Our Shared Shelf reading and probably the last one of 2016.

I was first exposed to Maya Angelou's work through, like so many others I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. We read this clear back in my Honours English class in high school. What I remember about it was that it really was not all that painful of a read. Whenever Emma called Mom & Me & Mom one of her favourite books, I had pretty high expectations. While it did not disappoint, it just was not five star quality for me. At first, I thought it was going to be my first Our Shared Shelf reading five star, but it didn't happen.

Maya is such an engaging writer and I was pulled in right from the first words. Her writing is really simple, but it just has this factor to it that makes it really hard to pull away from her. She is able to bring you into her world in a way that can only be described as effortless. I just love her words and how she creates her world. I have read a lot of memoirs this year and I must say that Maya's book stands out as probably the best so far.

The relationship between mother and daughter is quite a difficult one in this book. Maya and her brother, Bailey, are sent to live with their grandmother. Their parents are divorced and neither parent can raise the two children. While their grandmother does care for them, she really can't replace the mother that they both long for. So, when their mother sends for them, it makes it even that much more complicated. Maya and Bailey are almost afraid to let her in. They fear that she will leave them again. This theme appears again and again in the book. Bailey is never fully able to forgive their mother and falls into what can only be described as a dark life.

As the book goes on, we see how Maya's relationship with her mother changes. We see that Maya seeks out the advice of her mother and longs to have her by her side. They still have their rough spots, but their relationship almost seems like it comes out of a fairytale. While I am glad everything worked out between them, I do feel like a of the drama was played down a bit.

Okay, I guess, I can live with the drama being played down. Like I said, I have read a lot of memoirs this year. I guess my biggest issue with memoir is that the person writing them always tries to make themselves come across as the most important person in the world. We really don't get that here or at least, I didn't pick up on it. I don't know about anything else?

So, why four stars? Well, the pacing was a little strange. It would jump months and years at a time. This may not sound like a major problem, but in a book that is less than two hundred pages, it just doesn't flow well.

Poet and author, Maya Angelou delivers an elegant, inspiring memoir that tugs at the heart. I have been following her poetic creativity, long before I wrote three books of poetry. In fact, it was Maya Angelou who inspired me to explore and share poetic works with several poets, from different walks of life. After reading her unique poetry collections, I began writing poetry on an AOL website. It was there where I shared poetry with many writers, and the great admiration and respect for Maya Angelou was discussed, and enjoyed. Her poetic works not only inspired me, but millions of people world-wide. Her writing style is as impressive as her poetry, and she is one remarkable writer, who published work that will forever live on in the writing world. In this heartfelt memoir, she tells a touching story not only about her achievements, but also about the struggles and conflict she endured throughout her life. When she reveals her true feelings about a void in her life, her parents in a broken relationship and abandonment, one can feel a deep sadness. When she discusses a healing phase of love between two women, one feels a sense of relief. When she describes her journey of reconciliation, one can feel the happiness. Maya Angelou's writing style has always been mesmerizing, because she has a gift, the ability to reach out to others with compassion. This intriguing story will make the reader cry, and smile. Most important, as I've noted from several of her works, her footsteps in the writing world will always leave 'beautiful memories' from this gifted poet. "MOM & ME & MOM" hits home for many who can relate to complicated relationships, dark days in their lives, love, healing and support. This endearing memoir portrays a colorful painting, and the life of Maya Angelou is the portrait. Inspiring, motivating, and touching! Highly recommended!

Before reading this book, I only knew of Maya Angelou in passing. I have seen many wonderful quotes by her and knew she was a very well respected and wonderful woman, but I had never had the pleasure of actually reading anything she had written. I picked this one up at the local library and read it almost non-stop in free moments. Reading a chapter or two here between chores. I fell in love with the woman writing the story and sharing her strength and courage, her trials and her journey to get to know and love the woman who gave her life. I am glad I picked this book up, and will most definitely be returning to find more to read by her.

I adored Maya Angelou. She inspired me and many of the graduate students I taught for years. Her strength and wisdom and courage are an example to all women, of all ethnicities. It was very disappointing to me, then, to get this book and find it so simplistic and with so little to offer. I understand that Maya loved her mother, but this tribute to her presents "Lady" as unpredictable, sometimes ruthless, and occasionally violent. Yes, she was a strong woman and supportive of Maya after her childhood abandonment, but she hardly comes across as a woman to emulate.

The writing lacks the elegance of Angelou's other works and appears to have been a hastily written (maybe recorded and transcribed?) series of incidents, many of which feature Angelou much more than her mother.

I would have given this book 2 stars, but have such admiration for Angelou's other writing that I cannot bear to.

This is my first Maya Angelou book, but I knew of her from quotes and interviews. My closest female friend of 35 years is Black. I am White. We worked many night shifts together sharing our history and secrets. We laughed and cried together and have a multitude of things in common, but my ancestors did not arrive in chains. I can never be a Black woman, but I can read and learn. My mother, like Angelou’s was a lion. She loved and provided for her kids, She was tender-hearted and kind, she was also bad temper and uttered words that scarred. This book gave me a glimpse into the life of a Black family, but it also helped me explore that extraordinarily complicated mother-daughter relationship.

I've read a couple of Maya's books, but in high school and college. As an almost 40 year old who was reminded at her passing how much I had liked her writing, I picked this up. I was able to read it in two sittings, which didn't seem possible. It's shorter than it looked!

The book left me feeling a little disappointed though. I'm in the stage of life where I'm realizing a lot of my internal struggle is because of things lacking or withheld by my mom when I was growing up. I'm struggling with how to come to terms with what I didn't get, while finding forgiveness for her and discovering a way to honor her in an honest way. How do I honor her for what she did give me while being authentic and true and not diminishing the pain I experience/d? I was hoping to find some answers in this book. I wish I could have coffee with Maya and ask some of my questions.

I realize practically she's writing this from a completely different life phase than I'm in. But it feels like she forgets that angsty struggle. Or maybe she just skips over it. She went from not trusting her mom as a teenager to asking for and receiving mothering from her when she was forty.

I wished for more like some other readers. I wished for her to speak to some of what I'm experiencing. Different mom, different story, but yeah, me too... Same struggles. Same mixed bag.

I also thought there were places in the book she talked more about her own life accomplishments than about her relationship with her mom. I thought they could have been handled more in conjunction, maybe? Or less of what she was up to, more of the mom interactions and her feelings and thoughts about those interactions? Some sage wisdom from a late-life standpoint on navigating rough waters with a mom? And more on the effects of abandonment in her own life?

Worth the quick read, worth asking the tough questions. I want to go back now and reread Caged Bird.

I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

How have I gone through my entire life without having read Maya Angelou yet?! I can't believe that I have been missing out on such greatness all of this time and no one saw fit to tell me this (other than Oprah, that is). But now that I've read her (thanks to NetGalley, who gave it to me for free in exchange for an honest review), I can say with absolute certainty that I am going to read all of the books in her autobiographical series. I'm not sure if this one is part of her series or not, but it's a memoir that chronicles Maya's relationship with her mother.

Abandoned as young children by their unprepared mother, Vivian Baxter, Maya and her brother lived for a decade with their grandmother. When they became and age where being a black man in the south could be problematic, Maya and Bailey moved to California to live with the mother who had abandoned them.

The book highlights the struggles between Maya and her mother, and, ultimately, their mutual understanding, respect, and love for each other. Reading about Maya Angelou's mother leaves the reader little doubt that Maya would grow up to be such a powerful and influential figure. Her mother was strong, willful, and read to protect herself and her family at any cost. She taught Maya that a reputation is the most important thing a person has going for them, and to make sure that if you, "say it in the closet.. be prepared to say it on the city hall steps."

This short and powerful book is a great read, especially for mothers and daughters. I don't think I can give this book the justice it deserves, so I will quote Maya in her description of her mother's influence on her and hope the enormity of the words is enough to make you run out and pick up a copy:
"My mother's gifts of courage to me were both large and small. The latter are woven so subtly into the fabric of my psyche that I can hardly distinguish where she stops and I begin."

There is a saying, both a curse and a blessing, that is something like "may you have an interesting life." Maya Angelou has certainly had an interesting life, and that has probably been both a curse and a blessing.

I know her writing mostly from her beautiful I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings , although it has been decades since I read it, and from her equally beautiful poetry.

She has multiple autobiographical writings, and this newest one tells more of her relationship with her mother, and to a lesser extent, with her grandmother. And it is not always a pretty story.

I admire Ms. Angelou and I am glad I read this short little book. However, the writing didn't live up to my expectations of her. While interesting to me, it didn't have the lyricism I know she can write. And there were inexplicable gaps that left me wondering. She talks of her mother and her mother's current husband, and another "Papa" who lives in the house. Then suddenly, her mother moves, and no explanation is given. Initially, we don't know if she was still with those people so close to her. What happened? At another place in the story, she speaks of the merchant marines with whom her mother sailed. Huh? It wasn't until later in the book that was explained. She spoke of being a CME, and I may be the only person in the world who doesn't know what that means, but an explanation would have helped.

Some of the writing is wonderful, but much left me wanting more, more of her life, more of her talent, more satisfaction, just more.

I was given an advance reader's copy of this book.

"Mom & Me & Mom" chronicles Maya Angelou's relationship with her mother, Vivian Baxter, who she simply referred to as "Lady."

Her mother, unable to properly care for Maya and her brother when they were 3 and 5 years old, respectively, sent her children to live with their grandmother in Stamps, Arkansas. When she finally met and came to live with her mother at age 13, Vivian Baxter was a virtual stranger to Maya. This is partially why she chose to call her mother "Lady" instead of mom. The other reason was because Vivian did not look like a mother to her, but instead looked like a glamorous woman, which is what Maya imagined a lady should look like.

With time, Maya overcame that rejection she felt from her mother by being sent away at such a young age and forgave her. It was both interesting and sad reading about a daughter becoming acquainted with her mother at age 13, afraid of being cast aside once again. As a reader, I found it more difficult to forgive Vivian Baxter, but I eventually did as well.

In this story of forgiveness and redemption, the reader sees their relationship unfold and how Lady came to have such a positive impact on her daughter's life despite stepping into it at a later age.

Not every mother and daughter relationship is positive. In fact, many are tumultuous, faulty, and have their highs and lows. I believe many children that come from strained parental relationships have a deep seated desire, whether conscious or unconscious, to one day heal the hurt and have a more ideal relationship. And, if the parent passes away before the relationship can be redeemed, it makes grieving more difficult because the possibility of repairing the relationship is gone. The fact that Maya had the opportunity to forgive her mother and develop a complete relationship with her before she passed away in her nineties was a miracle.

This is a touching and honest narrative of a relationship between a mother and a daughter that was at one point non-existent, then strained, and then finally healed.

Like many readers with eclectic literary tastes, I have encountered Maya Angelou a number of times, mostly through her poetry and through her first and perhaps most famous prose title, I KNOW WHY THE CAGED BIRD SINGS. Prior to delving into MOM & ME & MOM, I even knew that she had written more than one personal portrait in that unique way she has of fusing memoir and autobiography. But to learn that she has now written seven stories of her journey through 80-plus years was startling, to say the least.

MOM & ME & MOM bears poignant testimony to why one of the world's most gifted artists --- a woman who chose to boldly yet humbly excel in every performing medium she embraced --- can never really finish her life story. It gives deep truth to the almost clichéd phrase of the work-in-progress. A big part of that work deals with acceptance, transcendence and reconciliation; this latest personal sharing explores the complex and sometimes tortuous terrain of the mother-daughter relationship.

For Angelou, especially during childhood, there was never a "normal" family system with clearly defined lines of affection, loyalty, responsibility, authority or accountability. As youngsters, Angelou and elder brother Bailey (who tragically succumbed to drug addiction as a troubled adult) were sent to live with grandparents in Arkansas when their divorced mother, the late Vivian Baxter, chose to abdicate parenthood.

You'd think the pain of growing to adulthood haunted by a perpetual sense of being abandoned and discarded would remain an unhealed and resentful wound; any loving concern for the delinquent parent should be far down on one's list of priorities. Angelou frankly expresses how she experienced all that and more while struggling to find her own identity. She journeyed through an astonishing variety of professions and many strata of society, moving back and forth from the extremes of poverty and despair to the heights of success and recognition.

Yet through it all, as the title of MOM & ME & MOM bravely declares, she repeatedly found herself emotionally, socially and geographically "sandwiched" between the many reinventions and relationships that made up the chameleon who was Vivian Baxter.

With infinite patience, respect, and sometimes sheer emotional drive, Angelou recounts and explores a woman who in myriad ways was an utter failure at mothering, yet somehow came up with moments of strength and understanding that made everything else insignificant by comparison. And often as not, the truant mother received the same spontaneous generosity of spirit from a daughter who could be forgiven for ignoring her completely; Angelou couldn't, and didn't.

In fact, it's often hard to decide whether this latest autobiographical work is more about Vivian Baxter or Maya Angelou. Is the title trying to tell us that Mom should have top billing? If so, Angelou is the essential catalyst in bringing to life the glorious imperfections of someone whose life would be totally obscured otherwise. Yet in being that catalyst, she can't help but reveal even greater depths and facets of her own psyche.

With its gripping honesty, insight and glimpses into fragile fragments of childhood memory, MOM & ME & MOM presents one extraordinary woman's unvarnished revelation of life in a "broken" African-American family. It abounds with adventure, surprise, joy, anger, chaos, tragedy, sadness, fear and confusion --- a mosaic of what so many anonymous families face day in and day out.

There is no Dick and Jane normality in Maya Angelou's world, but hard-won and infinite love perseveres and seeps through every crack in the picture. Everyone with "family" is sure to be moved and shaken by this unique double portrait.

Reviewed by Pauline Finch

"Love heals. Heals and liberates." (prologue, x)

Maya Angelou ventures down memory lane to show how her mother, Lady Vivian Baxter, shaped and molded her life from young adulthood and onward. Lady Baxter showed Maya how to stay tough and determined by exhibiting her own toughness and determination, showing that nobody can stop you if you set your mind towards achieving something.

Broken into two sections, Mom & Me discusses the life Maya endured while living under her mother's roof and getting to know her; then there's "Me & Mom" which shows how Maya lived independently, yet reliant of her mother. The evolution of her calling Vivian Baxter `Lady', to `Mother', to `Mom' shows the leaps and developments in their relationship. Whenever Maya needed advice, her mother was there for her, whenever she needed a shoulder to cry on, her mother was there for her, and whenever she needed encouragement and love, her mother was there for her. There's no doubt, from the content of Mom & Me & Mom, that Lady Baxter was one of the largest influences in Maya's life.

"She liberated me from a society that would have had me think of myself as the lower of the low. She liberated me to life." (72)

A particular part in the story I found very insightful was her marriage and divorce from her husband, Tosh Angelos. In her marriage she became unhappy; she snuck out to church because her husband was an atheist, she stopped attending dance class because her husband thought it was a waste of time, and she stopped going certain places & hanging out with friends all because her husband was jealous. Maya Angelou sought out her mother's advice all throughout her marriage (even though her mother didn't like her marrying a poor white man,) and Lady Baxter always comforted her to hopefully follow her heart. Maya finally followed her heart and after an amicable divorce, she picked up her friends, favorite places and dancing lessons again. Because she picked her dancing lessons, this led to successful stripless strip-tease performances, which led to singing at the Purple Onion, which led to her joining an operatic society and performing Porgy and Bess all over europe. This in turn led to Maya finding her love in writing lyrics, screenplays and poetry. Again, her mother's understanding and love, liberated her, and she grew.

"I was to learn that whenever she had anything important to say, she would first ask us to sit down, and then say, `I have something to say.'" (30)

I loved both the raw intensity, and the poetic comfort that Maya invokes in the writing of this autobiographical section of her life. She knows she's been through some violent and depressing periods in her life, but she writes it without shame or holding back. She wants people to feel emotionally connected to the events in the book, whether they are rough times, or the periods of pure elation. This helps us understand her thought processes, and the decisions she made, and also why she sought out the advice of her mother, who always had something to say.

"`You are going far in this world, baby, because you dare to risk everything. That's what you have to do. You are prepared to do the best you know to do. And if you don't succeed, you also know all you have to do is try it again.'" (120)

Mom & Me & Mom shows how Maya learned to never stop trying, and how to prove people wrong when they say you can't do this or that. Her mother, was a civil rights advocate through her achievements and ambitions and she taught Maya the importance in doing the same. This book goes through different trials and triumphs in which Maya learned from Lady Vivian Baxter and grew to genuinely love her not just in the respectful way of a Lady, but in the comforting way of a Mother. From Maya's highs to her lows, Lady Baxter was there for her, and albeit she has made many mistakes herself, she planted a seed in Maya that grew to instill confidence, morality and love in her little girl.

"Imagine I might really become somebody. Someday." (79)
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*Quotes:

"`Baby, I've been thinking and now I am sure. You are the greatest woman I've ever met.'" (78)

"`Don't do anything you think is wrong. Just do what you think is right, and then be ready to back it up even with your life.'" (138)

"`Sometimes people put people on pedestals so they can see them more clearly and knock them off more easily.'" (160)
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Galley provided by Random House Publishing Group via LibraryThing

*Quotes are from uncorrected advanced galleys and may change before going to press. Please refer to the final printed book for official quotes.

The writer Maya Angelou had a difficult childhood. Sent away from home by her mother while still very young, she and her brother were brought up by their grandmother. It was only during early adolescence that mother and children were reunited: the reason being that Maya's mother Vivian Baxter had previously not considered herself capable enough to be a parent. From then on mother and daughter had what might be described as a feisty relationship: seldom agreeing with one another, but incapable of living apart. MOM AND ME AND MOM is an affectionate memoir of a remarkable woman, who took several jobs - many of them involving heavy work - to support herself and her family. She obviously cared for her offspring, but sometimes her temper got the better of her. On at least one occasion she struck the adolescent Maya across the face as a punishment; Maya and her brother responded by threatening to leave home for good. Vivian also had relationships with various men: although none of them were criminal, they sometimes operated on the wrong side of the law. Nonetheless the bond between mother and daughter was a strong one. As she grew up, Maya came to admire Vivian's strength of character, which proved exceptionally useful. On one occasion Maya went to Sweden, where one of her screenplays was being filmed. Neither the director nor the star took much notice of her, but when Vivian arrived the mood changed abruptly. Maya was treated not as an outsider but as an integral member of the creative team. Time passed: and Maya embarked on a variety of careers, including starring in a cabaret show and touring in a production of Gershwin's Porgy and Bess. By now she had a son of her own; her experiences as an adolescent had taught her not to abandon him to others. Vivian proved a valuable source of support, not only looking after Maya's son but providing an emotional rock for her daughter. Maya eventually moved into a full-time career in North Carolina as a teacher and writer, while Vivian carried out philanthropic work with a group of close friends, both African-American and European. Vivian eventually died of cancer, but not without a terrific fight. The last part of Angelou's book proved particular moving, as she recalled how she travelled to the United Kingdom as a Visiting Professor, and dashed back to North Carolina just in time to catch her mother's last days. Vivian passed away quietly in hospital after a remarkable life.

WOW! What a mom! Maya tells of her mother sending her two children - Maya and her brother - ages 3 and 5 - to live with a grandmother in the South and then getting them back again as teenagers. It's not easy, but eventually Maya comes to love and appreciate her unique mother. And, what an unusual mother she was! For example, when Maya's relationship with her husband ends, and she needs a job, Maya gets a job at a strip club. Now, if that were my daughter, I would scream and howl, but Maya's mother helps her make her shimmery, shiny costume!!!!!!!!...lots of feathers so she doesn't have to totally disrobe! She supports Maya in anything and everything. She is there for her wherever and whatever road Maya chooses to travel. Of course, she gives her advice, but lets Maya make the ultimate decisions. I love the conclusion Maya makes about a mother's role when she is struggling at a situation in Sweden. I read Caged Bird many many years ago and thought it was some of the most incredible writing I had encountered in modern literature. This book is not as poetical, but it is nonetheless, an honest open book about a challenging relationship. Yes, if you love Maya Angelou, you should definitely read this. BY THE WAY, I listened to it on Ebook from the library, and it was read by Maya herself in her slow rich deep voice. Great book. Yes, read it!

The mother daughter relationship can be one of the more complicated relationships in life; I have experienced its complications with my own mother and sometimes experience it with my daughters.

Maya's mom appears atypical - but at the heart of it all, she was simply a woman trying to do the best with what she was entrusted. Early on when Maya and her brother were 3 and 5 respectively, her mother sent them to her mother to be raised, because she did not know what she was doing. When they were about 13 and 15 they were sent back up north in California to reunite with their mother. I did not know that Maya Angelou's foundation was in Northern California.

Maya was very upfront with mother for being abandoned and her mother accepted it; she apologized. That was the start of the rich display of a mother's love. Her mother supported her in any endeavor she attempted. When she became a mother at 15, her mother was very practical about the whole thing - "Do you love him? No; no use in ruining three lives then." To her mother, this was a slight inconvenience, not an opportunity for scandal.

Maya Angelou has a beautiful economy of words; her sentences are short and to the point, but joined together they tell a rich story. Maya's mom was a dynamo, and with Maya back in her life she remained a dynamo. Her mom, Vivian Baxter, was admired by most of San Francisco's black community. If it had not been for her mother's love and total acceptance and respect on both sides, we may have never heard of Maya Angelou. Her mother told her, you are one of the greatest women I have ever met, and that was not an empty sentiment.
"Baby, I've been thinking and now I'm sure, you are the greatest woman I've ever met. You are very kind and very intelligent and those elements are not always found together. Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt, Dr. Mary Mcleod Bethune and my mother - yes you belong in that category. Here give me a kiss." That is just a powerful statement.

There are many other examples in the book of the mother daughter dance to total acceptance and love for each other.

This book was written to examine some of the ways love heals and helps a person to climb impossible heights and rise from immeasurable depths. I hope I can inspire my children as Maya Angelou's mom did.

[...]

Mom and Me and Mom is truly a one-of-a-kind autobiography. Maya Angelou's story is simultaneously unbelievable and completely relatable. Throughout her life, Maya experienced times of hardship and times of success. She starts the story when she is still living with her grandmother and her brother, Bailey. From there, she pulls us from her adolescent- to middle-adulthood-relationship with her mother, Vivian Baxter.

Maya's writing style is what sets the story apart from the endless ocean of autobiographies. She wants the reader to experience and visualize the events but does not spend three pages describing a singular chair in the dining room and its role as a metaphor for her life. Instead, Maya takes things as they come. At several points throughout her life, Maya had harsh encounters with male authority figures. In a conventional autobiography, these encounters would undoubtedly be linked to the absence of a male role model in her life. Maya, however, does not entertain the idea for a second. In Mom and Me and Mom, good things happen, and bad things happen too. To Maya, though, these things do not fit together like puzzle pieces to reveal an answer to a lingering question about the meaning of her life. They just happen. And they happen to her.

My favorite aspect of this book is Maya's relationship with her mother. At their first meeting, Maya cannot fathom ever loving Vivian as a mother. She views Vivian as a nice Lady but not a motherly figure. By Vivian's death, Maya and her mother share an unbreakable bond. As a reader from Maya's perspective, even I had a hard time warming up to Vivian. She did leave her children to her mother from several years, after all. However, by the end of the novel, I had an understanding for her decisions and saw that those decisions made her an even better mother.

Overall, Mom and Me and Mom is the perfect glimpse of one of the world's most beloved poet's relationship not only with her mother, but with family, lovers, and life as an experience.

Mom & Me & Mom by Maya Angelou is the first book by Maya Angelou that I have ever read. I am not a big poetry reader so I have never really picked up her books. However, this is a partial memoir by Angelou that tells of her relationship with her mother and the things she learned.

When I started reading, the voice quickly brought me into the work. It reads like fiction. I kept thinking, fact is stranger than fiction. The things that happened to the author seem like something straight out of a fictional family saga.

I learned some about the author that I didn't know. I was inspired by her mother's strength and flaws. We all make mistakes, but we do not have to let them get us down. We all have something we want to achieve in life and there is no reason we can't go after it AND attain it.

I enjoyed this book and I will look into Maya Angelou's I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.

I recommend this book.

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Oh gosh, this must only get an "It's okay" rating. I am a fan of Maya Angelou. Who will EVER forget her poem on the inauguration of Obama? I even saw her in person when she spoke at my high school many many years ago- riveting! I'd listened to her, Letters to My Daughter and liked that loads too. This book, however, was ridiculously brief (hardcover, plus photos, with not too many words/page) and covered what I think I already knew from Caged Bird and Gather Together. I admire M.A. tremendously and what a fascinating life she's lived, this book just felt churned out. Sorry I'd put it on my wish list, would've been happier if it had come from the library.

This book is a series of memories, feelings, and episodes. Despite its lack of specificity, you get the understanding that Vivian Baxter was quite a woman.

As suggested by the book's mere 198 short pages (it can be read in 3 hours), a lot is left unsaid.

The vignettes appear to be chronological, but there are big gaps in time between. There are only a few stories and in most, key information is missing. While the book is intended to be subjective, the omissions are too constant to be ignored. What was it about the fight over her friend's shoplifting that triggered Vivian's arrest? How did Vivian become so comfortable with guns? Of all Vivian's unexplained careers and career changes, the most intriguing curiosity is how did it happen that she owned a casino in Nome, Alaska?

Sadly the clearest episode is that of the visit to her father.

There are a lot of positive reader reviews for this book. I think they are more for Maya Angelou, than for this particular book.

I'd like to read a biography of Vivian Baxter... she clearly deserves a full treatment.

This book brought me to my knees. This is the story of the woman, who after abandoning her very young children, returned to their lives when they were teens. This memoir was written with love to the amazingly brave and courageous woman whom Maya Angelou called her mother. Rather than being a biographical sketch of the African-American experience; this was written to teach women how to be brave and courageous, forthright and true. I think all women should read this.

Knowing that Maya Angelou has already written one autobiography, I honestly was not expecting much from Mom & Me & Mom by Maya Angelou. I was quite thrilled to be surprised because this book was excellent. Mom & Me & Mom deals primarily with Ms. Angelou's relationships with her mother and her grandmother. And, in her own words:
"This book has been written to examine some of the ways love heals and helps a person to climb impossible heights and rise from immeasurable depths."

Just like with her poetry, her writing of these relationships it is completely mesmerizing. She speaks her truth of loss, hurt, and a wanting of more with such a high level of honesty that it is no surprise that reconciliation occurred between the parties. Ms. Angelou's writing is fluid and flawless. It was with the following words from her mother that Maya Angelou decided she could do accomplish anything: "No, you learned that you have power - power and determination. I love you and I am proud of you. With those two things, you can go anywhere and everywhere." I for one am overjoyed that she heard and received these words because otherwise the world would not have known the literary gem known as Maya Angelou.

DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of Mom & Me & Mom from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I am a Maya Angelou fan so when I saw this book I had to read it. It gave good insight into her mother and perhaps explains a lot about who Ms. Angelou is. I enjoyed the stories and appreciated that although her mother was not in her early life they grew into a wonderful adult relationship. This book made me think about my relationship with my own mother and how it shaped me. Often times we can only imagine what it was like to be our parents and may disagree with some of their choices but once we are adults it looks different. Life is not easy and many times we do the best we can with what we are given. Highly recommend this book!

Vivian Baxter took no prisoners, but she also knew her role as a mother. While her relationship with Maya and her brother Bailey had a turbulent beginning, she made up for a portion of it at the end. I know will read this again. During my initial read I was captured by the character development and progression of relationships. We all know how well Ms. Angelou could tell a story. During my second read, I'm sure I'll catch more nuances and wisdom. I'll be back with an update, until then I HIGHLY RECOMMEND this as an addition to your reading list.

I didn’t know much about Maya Angelou but this book opened my eyes and heart to two strong and beautiful women. I couldn’t stop reading this and her words have given me courage to be a fierce woman.

The depth of a mother's wisdom and love is revealed through this story told by her child. This is an amazing and beautiful memoir of Maya Angelou's childhood. It is insightful; I have always been a huge fan of Ms. Angelou but had little knowledge of the relationship with her mother. It is clear that the wisdom of Ms. Angelou is rooted in the lessons learned from growing up with her mother. I loved this book and my only complaint is that it ended - I read it on one day and was totally absorbed.

Very much like the author, Vivian Baxter was a great lady. She was definitely resourceful and a woman ahead of her time. I read this one in a few days. When Ms. Angelou wrote about lunch with her mom and the red rice, I remember reading a little about that in a cookbook written by Ms. Angelou. This spare tribute made me realize that a mother's absence can reverberate through the years and how much a mother's presence means in our lives. Recommended.

Maya Angelou's "Mom & Me & Mom" beautifully portrays the relationship between her and her mom through each and every important time in Angelou's life. This memoir carefully develops just like any other story, but can be seen as much more powerful due to the fact that the key subject is not a person, but a relationship. The author's writing flows fluidly as if she is orally speaking on the complexity of the mother child relationship. Maya's seventh book, is definitely not a let down, because of the entertaining yet powerful anecdotes that intertwine together to form her message of acceptance, forgiveness and interdependence. Maya's story can be relevant to the stories of parents and children all over the world and can even be seen as a healer of broken relationships.

One of the best books I ever read--to all mothers - pay attention to page 141 and page 170. Profound paragraphs. Yes some things were not fully addressed as some reviews pointed out however had she finished every story she touched on- it wouldn't have changed any outcome

This book allows you to see into the heart of Maya. life is short and sometimes filled with pain, but we each have the ability to change our own lives. I read this book in 2 days and only because I started late at night and got sleepy more than half way through. I haven't read her first book but I'll definitely read it now.

As usual, this is a fantastic read. I read it as I await the arrival of my own daughter. That may have led to my liking it even more. Her heartfelt words and memories are so vividly portrayed and with such wisdom. A definite must read.

I hope to have as good of a memory one day as Maya did when writing about the relationship with my mother. Maya was a remarkable woman but so was Lady B Baxter. It was heartfelt and at times funny. Maya was lucky to have had a wise mother who was strong willed and feisty too. Great book.

I loved reading this story! An unexpected tale of mother and daughter that really shows the value of unconditional love, even through the toughest times. An unperfect love that’s telling for anyone who can feel like they get caught up in perfection.

Maya Angelou never disappoints when she grants us access to her exceptional life. After reading her latest personal revelation, Mom & Me & Mom, one understands the contribution her legacy played in her destiny to become one of our greatest humanitarians. In this mother-daughter relationship story, Ms. Angelou alternates between upbraiding her mother, Vivian Baxter, for shirking her duties as a young mom to boasting about the courage and audacity she exhibited as an unbridled adult. Besides illustrating how modeled confidence can be absorbed by one's offspring, the story also illuminates the aftermath of early life decisions. This read gives us newly revealed information about our great Maya Angelou, and it definitely does not disappoint.

What a book! what a life! This is not a biography, it is a collection of memories of significant events, written in a very simple style. You just drink it in. I started and had to read till I finished. I wished there was more, that I could get to know Maya Angelou and her family better. Maya Angelou is an incredible person and a fantastic writer.

This book had very little emotional depth of feeling to it. Most of the book I was already familiar with from other books. It is more a reporter like approach to the mother daughter relationship than the emotive power of words from Maya Angelou.

I finished this book with the same emotion I have after watching a good movie. The many pearls of wisdom that surface throughout this book make it a true keepsake. I knew from earlier books about Maya's history of not growing up with her mother. I have always wondered about the details of their relationship since in previous books Maya never went into great detail, nor spoke bad about her mother. Actually, she spoke very highly of her like she was some kind of Angel. I am so happy to read this story about a living angel, and the realities that life presents for mere mortals and Angels alike.
As a mother of two currently separated for my children, Vivian Baxter's strength and wisdom have strengthened my resolve to continue being the best mother I know how to be, and live in peace with my decisions, knowing full well that I love my children with all my heart, and I will ALWAYS be here, there and anywhere they need me.

This made me reflect a lot on my life and relationships I have with my ex, my mother, and my best friends mothers over the years. Hart warming. Wonderful book, I'll have to read more from maya Angelou I feel like I know her personally. This book really blessed me. As a young person there's not many mentors anymore to give sound advice and it's as if she was right here talking to me.

This is very easy to read, very interesting, and fills in a lot of blanks in what we have known of the life of Maya Angelou. I have enjoyed it very much. It is written in short chapters and just tells the story without a lot of embellishments and page filler prose, and is not too long so can be read in a short time. What a life she has led! The relationship with her mother and the path to reconciliation is the underlying theme, but there is much more as well.

Many times, I've pondered Maya Angelou. How did she become the strong, magnificent woman that is? This books puts many pieces of this question to rest. The experiences, the pain, the wonder of Maya Angelou came in a large way from her Mother, her Grandmother, brother and son. My throat tightened, my tears spilled, and I became stronger after reading this wonderful account of the bonds between Mother and daughter.

Ms. Angelou is one of the great writers and poets of this or any other generation. The book came from her heart and I could not put it down as it contained so many inspiring moments. It was like sharing her family with me - a stranger. Everyone should read this marvelous book.