In this unique combination of memoir and cultural history, we come to know one of the greatest stars the world has ever seen--Eartha Kitt--as revealed by the person who knew her best: her daughter.

Henson writes of her family, the one she was born into and the one she created. She shares stories of family, friends, the hustle required to make it from DC to Hollywood, and the joy of living in your own truth. Here she also opens up about her experiences as a single mother, a journey some saw as a burden but which she saw as a gift. With humor and candor, Henson shows us that behind the red carpet moments, she is just a girl in pursuit of her dreams....

The author and poet recalls the anguish of her childhood in Arkansas and her adolescence in northern slums. "Here is a book as joyous and painful, as mysterious and memorable, as childhood itself. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings captures the longing of lonely children, the brute insult of bigotry, and the wonder of words that can make the world right. Maya Angelou's debut memoir is a modern American classic beloved worldwide. Sent by their mother...