 Front cover | |
| Author | Maya Angelou |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Genre | Essays |
| Publisher | Random House |
Publication date | 2009 |
| Publication place | United States |
| Media type | |
| Pages | 166 |
| ISBN | 978-0-8129-8003-5 |
| Preceded by | Even the Stars Look Lonesome |
Letter to My Daughter (2009) is the third book of essays by African-American writer and poet Maya Angelou. By the time it was published, Angelou had written two other books of essays, several volumes of poetry, and six autobiographies. She was recognized and highly respected as a spokesperson for black people and women, and had become "a major autobiographical voice of the time".[1] Angelou had no daughters herself, but was inspired to write Letter as she was going through 20 years of notes and essay ideas, some of which were written for her friend Oprah Winfrey. Angelou wrote the book for the thousands of women who saw her as a mother figure, and to share the wisdom gained throughout her long life.
Letter consists of 28 short essays, which includes a few poems and a commencement address, and is dedicated to "the daughter she never had".[2] Reviews of the book were generally positive; most reviewers recognized that the book was full of Angelou's wisdom and that it read like words of advice from a beloved grandmother or aunt. One reviewer found the book's essays both homespun and "hokey".[3]