Maya Angelou's career encompasses several genres: poetry, prose, plays, and television. This book explores the entire prose and poetry of Maya Angelou. It traces the evolution of her development and her emergence into a personage of renown. To discover the source of her being, Angelou follows a popular black American exercise of searching for her roots and heritage by connecting generally and emotionally with selected African societies and cultures. This book compares her search for heritage with that of Alex Haley's. Haley traced his lineage through specific names and records, while Angelou follows a general avenue to Africa as the homeland. She vividly depicts through personal adventures the broad range of black experiences, both negative and positive. Through a life-long exposure to black folklore and insights, Angelou records a vivid view of life in which this all-encompassing book will allow the readers to compare and assess the extent of Maya Angelou's contributions.