Lessons in living from the bestselling and beloved author of I KNOW WHY THE CAGED BIRD SINGSA brilliant writer, a fierce friend and a truly phenomenal woman' BARACK OBAMAThe woman warrior who is armed with wit and courage will be among the first to celebrate victory' says Maya Angelou, bestselling author of I KNOW WHY THE CAGED BIRD SINGS and one of our best-loved writers.

Here she writes about family, argues for spirit and grace, insists on the importance of laughter and style and reflects on brutality and crime.

She has the courage to say the unfashionable: 'virtue, purity, temperance, goodness, worth or even moderation...we must return them to a vigorous role in our lives', and the wit to call for them with humour.

As lessons in living, they are a unique inspiration. 'She moved through the world with unshakeable calm, confidence and a fierce grace . . . She will always be the rainbow in my clouds' OPRAH WINFREY 'She was important in so many ways.

She launched African American women writing in the United States.

She was generous to a fault. She had nineteen talents - used ten. And was a real original. There is no duplicate' TONI MORRISON