Singin' and Swingin' and Gettin' Merry Like Christmas

Written by Maya Angelou

Part of the Maya Angelou's Autobiography series

A singer's journey abroad tests her devotion to her son.

4.3/5 Goodreads · 9,903 ratings

320 pages

$16.00Save 5%

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Bookroo's summary

Maya Angelou navigates adulthood, balancing odd jobs and a failed marriage, before finding her voice in a San Francisco nightclub. Her journey takes her to New York and beyond, performing across Europe and Africa. Amidst the applause, Maya grapples with guilt over leaving her son behind. As she reunites with him, she discovers the profound healing power of love and devotion. This chapter of her life is a vibrant celebration of resilience and the human spirit.

From the publisher

In this third self-contained volume of her autobiography, which began with I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Maya Angelou moves into the adult world. Maya struggles to support herself and her son through a series of odd jobs and weathers a failed marriage to a white man before landing a gig singing in one of the most popular nightclubs on the San Francisco coast. From there, she is called to New York to join the cast of Porgy and Bess. Maya soon finds herself on a joyous and dramatic adventure, touring abroad through Italy, France, Greece, Yugoslavia, and Egypt with spirited cast members, and performing for large, enthusiastic audiences. The exciting experience is dampened only by Maya’s nagging guilt that she has abandoned the person she loves most in life, her son, whose reentrance into her world reveals to Maya the healing power of devotion and love. Charged with Maya Angelou’s remarkable sense of life and love, Singin’ and Swingin’ and Gettin’ Merry Like Christmas is a unique celebration of the human condition-and an enthralling saga that has touched, inspired, and empowered readers worldwide.

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