We picked tbis book for Black History Month and it was certainly an insider's view of a different culture and different era. Being a music lover, I found the history of commercial music (different corporations and celebrities of the 1930's-60's) very interesting. This is definitely an in-depth look at the Lady's life - good, bad, and ugly... Some of the language and descriptions are rough - but they are real. A thick read...

The characters were very well-written. While I had compassion for some, I was infuriated by others. Most convicting of all was that I could see bits of myself in several of the different characters so it was very thought-provoking. The storyline was good but the character development was great - this is what made me anxious to finish the book.