Maya Angelou has fascinated, moved, and inspired  countless readers with the first three volumes of  her autobiography, one of the most remarkable  personal narratives of our age. Now, in her fourth  volume, The Heart of a Woman, her  turbulent life breaks wide open with joy as the  singer-dancer enters the razzle-dazzle of fabulous  New York City. There, at the Harlem Writers Guild,  her love for writing blazes anew.

Her  compassion and commitment lead her to respond to the  fiery times by becoming the northern coordinator  of Martin Luther King's history-making quest. A  tempestuous, earthy woman, she promises her heart to  one man only to have it stolen, virtually on her  weding day, by a passionate African freedom  fighter.

Filled with unforgettable vignettes of  famous characters, from Billie Holiday to Malcolm  X, The Heart of a Woman sings  with Maya Angelou's eloquent prose -- her fondest  dreams, deepest disappointments, and her dramatically  tender relationship with her rebellious teenage  son. Vulnerable, humorous, tough, Maya speaks with  an intimate awareness of the heart within all of  us.