Maya Angelou

A truly beautiful woman went home this week.  Maya Angelou died on Wednesday, May 28th in her home in Winston-Salem, NC.  Ms. Angelou was a brilliant and gifted poet and author, to name a few of her accomplishments, and her words, wisdom and presence were a gift to the world.  Although I'd never met her personally, I could feel her energy whenever I heard her speak or read works she had written, and it moved me to where I felt a kinship.  Her passing was very sad news to me, but I am so thankful for the life she lived and shared with us all.  She is an icon, a legend, and her spirit will truly live on forever.  Rest in Peace, Ms. Angelou.

Great Read: The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd

I recently finished reading The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd.  I was vaguely familiar with the author prior to reading the book, only because I had seen the delightful movie, The Secret Life of Bees, several years ago, which was based on her novel of the same name.  While I hadn't read that book prior to seeing the movie, I came away with a feeling that the author wrote with a spirit that captured hearts.  I enjoyed it so much that I watched it again sometime later.

I first heard about Ms. Kidd's latest novel while viewing her appearance with Oprah Winfrey on Super Soul Sunday.  Among other things, they talked about the author's latest book which had been selected for Oprah's Book Club 2.0 in December of last year.  I decided to check it out.

The book took hold of me from the very beginning.  I was drawn to not only the stories but also the voices of the main characters, Hetty, a slave, and Sarah, Hetty's reluctant slave owner.  The novel is at times harsh and other times sentimental, and very moving overall.  It made me appreciate Ms. Kidd's gifted writing ability even more.  I can see why Oprah chose to add it to her collection, and I'm happy to have included it in mine.  If you're interested in reading a book that will engage your mind and your heart, this one won't disappoint.