The Feminist Orchestra Bookclub discussion

I'm almost finished this one, sorry it took me so long to make a thread. I'm listening to it on audiobook and it is narrated by the author, which is great! It was a slower start but now I'm really involved in Angelou's story and am certain I will read the next one soon after. I think it gives a really important insight into the racism Angelou grew up with and then how her status was doubly reduced by her sex. Can't quite get a hold of all of my thoughts right now but I'm so glad I finally picked this one up! Thanks everyone.

I've been trying to come up with some words to talk about this book here for a few days, and I've just got nothing. I really, really enjoyed this book (if enjoyed can be a word that used), and I'm appalled by the racism and sexism Angelou experiences. I feel so many good things in seeing how she rises above them anyway. I also can't wait to pick up the next volume in her autobiography series.

One thing though, was that I hadn't ever seen a trigger warning for the child rape in the book in any review I'd previously seen. And that TW would've been much appreciated.

It feels really cheeky or maybe callous or maybe ignorant to say, but I was a little underwhelmed with this one.. Her life seems interesting and I liked her way of writing about it, but something felt a little lacking somehow? I felt bad about feeling that way until I read Mom & Me & Mom which relates a lot of the same stories, but somehow felt more grounded around a central figure: her mother.
I suppose this one felt a bit too scattered or something for me maybe? But it's also very possible my expectations were just raised too high by the immense fame this volume comes with. And I think, as a black woman, there are also expectations that are hard to shake that I should just automatically connect with the story somehow and the reality of my reading experience was at odds with those expectations.
I listened to the audiobook read by Maya Angelou and I really enjoyed that experience. It reminds me of hearing stories from my grandmother. All in all, I did enjoy finding out more about Maya Angelou and appreciated hearing about her experiences and the way she dealt with them.

Brave: I imagine there are no trigger warnings because it's such a famous book (and Angelou's story is so well known) that it comes with the (probably unfair) assumption you know what's coming. Conversely, maybe if I didn't know the more shocking aspects of Angelou's life before reading any of her books, that would have added an extra dimension for me.

I just finished this book and enjoyed it but i dont think I will be picking up the rest. I think I've just read too many books of this sort before. Im interested in hearing what everyone else thought of it though.

Such an interesting read. Maya’s vivid recollections gave me a completely new insight into that period of time, especially in the american context.
I found interesting how each place she visited felt like it had a spirit of its own. The impact of racism and how people coped with it seemed to vary sensitively.
The book also shows the importance of role models. The support and education Maya received from all the strong women that were present at different periods of her childhood is really uplifting.

This book was profoundly moving for me. It was a very hard read and triggering, but I felt it was worth it as it was equally beautiful. I went on to read most of her poetry collections after reading this and loved them.