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My Life with Martin Luther King, Jr.
This personal, inspirational account of the history of the Civil Rights Movement describes the author's relationship with Martin Luther King, Jr., detailing their marriage, the events of the 1960s, and King's tragic assassination. Reprint.
352 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1969
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884 people want to read
About the author
Coretta Scott King
76 books74 followersCoretta Scott King (1927-2006) was the wife of slain civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr. She gained an international reputation as an advocate of civil rights, nonviolence, international peace, full employment, and equal rights for women.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews
November 20, 2021
This is a sad book. We all know the tragic circumstances of Martin Luther King Jr’s life. He was persecuted by many, but accomplished much through valiant peaceful struggle – the Montgomery bus boycott, the March on Washington, the violent struggle in Selma to obtain voting rights… Martin Luther King Jr was fighting to attain basic human rights and dignity for his people; rights that were supposedly guaranteed by the U.S. constitution.
I found the parts of the book on the early life of Coretta Scott growing up in Alabama to be very moving. Her family house was set ablaze because her father was seen as too successful by his white counter-parts. Naturally there was no recourse to justice – this was Alabama. Her father and family just rebuilt. I cannot imagine how this would affect a young girl growing up. She did not acquire hate, instead she kept an open heart and did not seek out enemies.
She also describes her early college student years in the Northeast United States. She met Martin in Boston.
There are many passages in the book describing the accomplishments of the non-violent approach of Martin Luther King Jr. – and sadly this is juxtaposed to the inevitable violence from the white power structure – the bombings, the arrests, the personal assaults… Looking at this now – from a distance of sixty years or so, despite the achievements – it is very evident that white hate has not gone away. Just one example is the growing and successful efforts to limit voting rights – aimed specifically at people of colour and the poor.
We also see the progression in the philosophy of Martin Luther King Jr – he came to realize after the accomplishments of the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act that there was still much to be done in the United States. He saw that economic inequality in jobs and housing were major issues. Poverty in the richest country in the world needed to be addressed. Martin Luther King Jr pointed out that an immoral war in Vietnam was perverting the course and aims of America – enormous amounts of money were being spent on killing people in a faraway country. Far more efforts should have been used to alleviate the poverty within the United States – for affordable housing, health care, and education for the job market.
Page 294 my book on April 4, 1967 from a speech at Riverside Church in New York
“A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual death.”
What also became self-evident was the tremendous energy that Martin Luther King Jr had – he was constantly willing to come to the aid of others - interrupting his busy schedule to help the garbagemen in Memphis in 1968 is but one example. He was always making speeches across the United States to promote SCLC (Southern Christian Leadership Conference – the group started during the Montgomery bus boycott) and raising funds.
I feel guilty in criticizing this book by an honourable woman. The tone is overly religious with Jesus, God, the Bible being constantly referenced on almost every page.
Also, there is too much of a halo on Martin Luther King Jr and SCLC. For example, the author mentions that SCLC started the campaign for voting rights in Selma. Those in SNCC (Student Non-violent Coordinating Committee) would have something to say on that, as they are the ones who started the initial voting rights campaign.
Nevertheless, this book provides personal insights on the lives of Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta.
I found the parts of the book on the early life of Coretta Scott growing up in Alabama to be very moving. Her family house was set ablaze because her father was seen as too successful by his white counter-parts. Naturally there was no recourse to justice – this was Alabama. Her father and family just rebuilt. I cannot imagine how this would affect a young girl growing up. She did not acquire hate, instead she kept an open heart and did not seek out enemies.
She also describes her early college student years in the Northeast United States. She met Martin in Boston.
There are many passages in the book describing the accomplishments of the non-violent approach of Martin Luther King Jr. – and sadly this is juxtaposed to the inevitable violence from the white power structure – the bombings, the arrests, the personal assaults… Looking at this now – from a distance of sixty years or so, despite the achievements – it is very evident that white hate has not gone away. Just one example is the growing and successful efforts to limit voting rights – aimed specifically at people of colour and the poor.
We also see the progression in the philosophy of Martin Luther King Jr – he came to realize after the accomplishments of the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act that there was still much to be done in the United States. He saw that economic inequality in jobs and housing were major issues. Poverty in the richest country in the world needed to be addressed. Martin Luther King Jr pointed out that an immoral war in Vietnam was perverting the course and aims of America – enormous amounts of money were being spent on killing people in a faraway country. Far more efforts should have been used to alleviate the poverty within the United States – for affordable housing, health care, and education for the job market.
Page 294 my book on April 4, 1967 from a speech at Riverside Church in New York
“A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual death.”
What also became self-evident was the tremendous energy that Martin Luther King Jr had – he was constantly willing to come to the aid of others - interrupting his busy schedule to help the garbagemen in Memphis in 1968 is but one example. He was always making speeches across the United States to promote SCLC (Southern Christian Leadership Conference – the group started during the Montgomery bus boycott) and raising funds.
I feel guilty in criticizing this book by an honourable woman. The tone is overly religious with Jesus, God, the Bible being constantly referenced on almost every page.
Also, there is too much of a halo on Martin Luther King Jr and SCLC. For example, the author mentions that SCLC started the campaign for voting rights in Selma. Those in SNCC (Student Non-violent Coordinating Committee) would have something to say on that, as they are the ones who started the initial voting rights campaign.
Nevertheless, this book provides personal insights on the lives of Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta.
November 9, 2017
The book earned four stars instead of five because it is so rose-colored. Coretta paints her husband as a larger-than-life hero bordering on sainthood, which he was not. However, the story of the Movement was riveting. Everyone should know this story.
March 1, 2015
This book is dedicated to
THE MEMORY OF MY LATE HUSBAND
whose noble life of unselfish devotion to love, justice, and truth I was privileged to share, and from that sharing derived immeasurable fulfilment; and to
OUR FOUR CHILDREN
Yolanda, Martin III, Dexter, and Bernice who may live to see the realization of The Dream.
The release of the movie Selma reminded me of a book I have loved since a dear friend gave it to me for my 21st birthday, just a little over two years after Dr King was assassinated in April 1968.
It has stayed with me to this day and when Mrs King died in 2006, I re-read it, for the umpteenth time. I find her writing inspirational, personal, public and private at the same time. There are moments when she appears to be speaking to herself, times when she is telling us a personal story and times when she is relaying history.
The love and pride in this book are palpable. The author is a lady who is conscious of the place Martin Luther King Jnr holds in the history of the Civil Right Movement, but also conscious of the man behind the public figure; the husband and father lost to a bullet fired by James Earl Ray.
Despite this statement, Mrs King was never a cipher to her husband. She was a woman who was as devoted to the Civil Rights movement as her husband and resisted many attempts by the male members of the movement to sideline her to the role of wife. Mrs. King became a liaison to international peace and justice organizations even before Dr King took a public stand in 1967 against the United States intervention in the Vietnam War.
My original copy of My Life with Martin Luther King Jnr, was published in 1969 but there is also a revised version of the book which continues the story of the civil rights movement and the lives of her children. When Dr. King died, Mrs King did not don widow’s weeds and sit around waiting for her own demise.
In 1956, white supremacists bombed the King family home in Montgomery. Mrs. King and the couple's first child narrowly escaped injury. Despite that fact, despite the murder of her husband, Mrs King channelled her grief and energy into fulfilling her husband's work. Years of fund raising, lobbying and planning notwithstanding, Mrs King built the Martin Luther King Jnr Centre for Nonviolent Social Change.
Seeing Selma recently raised many feelings in me. I was reminded of the idealistic teenager who participated in Vietnam demonstrations and spend hours drinking coffee and singing protest songs. I drew parallels between the 1960’s and today and wondered how far civil rights had really progressed.
Mostly, however, I was angered. In what could be a powerful, uplifting, historical documentation of a wonderful life, Coretta Scott King is portrayed as the wronged wife asking her husband if he loved his mistresses, something she denied ever happened. I am surprised that in taking artistic licence, the writers, producers and actors couldn’t celebrate both Martin Luther and Coretta Scott King. I just don’t see why anyone would think the Kings needed scandal to make their lives more interesting on film.
Martin Luther King was a wonderful man, a recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize. He had the good sense to marry a woman who shared his life, his values and his legacy. See the film by all means, but read the words of the woman who marched by his side, not as a cipher but as an equal partner; a woman just as worthy as her husband of our admiration.
My Life with Martin Luther King Jnr by Coretta Scott King is available to download free of charge at http://bit.ly/1i4r7kO in many different digital formats.
THE MEMORY OF MY LATE HUSBAND
whose noble life of unselfish devotion to love, justice, and truth I was privileged to share, and from that sharing derived immeasurable fulfilment; and to
OUR FOUR CHILDREN
Yolanda, Martin III, Dexter, and Bernice who may live to see the realization of The Dream.
The release of the movie Selma reminded me of a book I have loved since a dear friend gave it to me for my 21st birthday, just a little over two years after Dr King was assassinated in April 1968.
It has stayed with me to this day and when Mrs King died in 2006, I re-read it, for the umpteenth time. I find her writing inspirational, personal, public and private at the same time. There are moments when she appears to be speaking to herself, times when she is telling us a personal story and times when she is relaying history.
The love and pride in this book are palpable. The author is a lady who is conscious of the place Martin Luther King Jnr holds in the history of the Civil Right Movement, but also conscious of the man behind the public figure; the husband and father lost to a bullet fired by James Earl Ray.
Despite this statement, Mrs King was never a cipher to her husband. She was a woman who was as devoted to the Civil Rights movement as her husband and resisted many attempts by the male members of the movement to sideline her to the role of wife. Mrs. King became a liaison to international peace and justice organizations even before Dr King took a public stand in 1967 against the United States intervention in the Vietnam War.
My original copy of My Life with Martin Luther King Jnr, was published in 1969 but there is also a revised version of the book which continues the story of the civil rights movement and the lives of her children. When Dr. King died, Mrs King did not don widow’s weeds and sit around waiting for her own demise.
In 1956, white supremacists bombed the King family home in Montgomery. Mrs. King and the couple's first child narrowly escaped injury. Despite that fact, despite the murder of her husband, Mrs King channelled her grief and energy into fulfilling her husband's work. Years of fund raising, lobbying and planning notwithstanding, Mrs King built the Martin Luther King Jnr Centre for Nonviolent Social Change.
Seeing Selma recently raised many feelings in me. I was reminded of the idealistic teenager who participated in Vietnam demonstrations and spend hours drinking coffee and singing protest songs. I drew parallels between the 1960’s and today and wondered how far civil rights had really progressed.
Mostly, however, I was angered. In what could be a powerful, uplifting, historical documentation of a wonderful life, Coretta Scott King is portrayed as the wronged wife asking her husband if he loved his mistresses, something she denied ever happened. I am surprised that in taking artistic licence, the writers, producers and actors couldn’t celebrate both Martin Luther and Coretta Scott King. I just don’t see why anyone would think the Kings needed scandal to make their lives more interesting on film.
Martin Luther King was a wonderful man, a recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize. He had the good sense to marry a woman who shared his life, his values and his legacy. See the film by all means, but read the words of the woman who marched by his side, not as a cipher but as an equal partner; a woman just as worthy as her husband of our admiration.
My Life with Martin Luther King Jnr by Coretta Scott King is available to download free of charge at http://bit.ly/1i4r7kO in many different digital formats.
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May 3, 2020En tidskapsel som bør leses.
November 10, 2017
I need to understand this part of history and this memoir is a powerful beginning but it should not be the only book I read on the Civil Rights Movement or even on Martin Luther King Jr. This gave me an inside look at the passion that existed that formed the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and really offered the nearest to Gandhi and his ideas that our culture would allow. But Coretta's view is pretty tightly focused and I need to study things beyond this view, although this was a great jumping off place. These are fascinating and critical issues that we are still trying to work out.
September 13, 2020
Coretta Scott King said in her speech following Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s death, “”How many men must die before we can really have a free and true and peaceful society? How long will it take?”
It is now 2020, and demonstrations and so-called “riots” are taking place after countless black people have died at the hands of law enforcement and structural racism still exists. This is a sobering fact. And more concerning is the white supremacists have become more vocal and visible. I learned so much reading about Dr King’s life and the sacrifices he made and the number of times that he was mistreated and threatened and ultimately killed for standing up for civil rights. But he had the respect of so many in power, including the President and other well known leaders; I wish we had a civil rights leader like him and I worry about the direction our country is heading. A mind blowing book to realize that so much more needs to be done, yet a wonderful book to read about how much Dr. King accomplished in his short life.
It is now 2020, and demonstrations and so-called “riots” are taking place after countless black people have died at the hands of law enforcement and structural racism still exists. This is a sobering fact. And more concerning is the white supremacists have become more vocal and visible. I learned so much reading about Dr King’s life and the sacrifices he made and the number of times that he was mistreated and threatened and ultimately killed for standing up for civil rights. But he had the respect of so many in power, including the President and other well known leaders; I wish we had a civil rights leader like him and I worry about the direction our country is heading. A mind blowing book to realize that so much more needs to be done, yet a wonderful book to read about how much Dr. King accomplished in his short life.
May 26, 2021
I actually read the original 1969 edition of this book which isn’t for young readers. Wow. What an incredible story of Coretta’s life with MLK. It’s interesting how they both just knew he would die early. The Lord prepared him. And the power of non violence is amazing.
March 7, 2018
s the end of Black History Month, and I just finished another of Coretta Scott King's books which really helped me know Martin Luther KIng, Jr., better and greatly increased my admiration for him. But I've also learned how supportive and patient Coretta was while being married to a national hero of the civil rights movement. She was so courageous in spite of her house being bombed while she was inside with her newborn baby, in spite of raising 4 kids while her husband was often away or even in jail, and in spite of receiving daily death threats and bad treatment by racists. Highly recommended reading!
October 4, 2018
I write about visionary leaders, so naturally I love to study them. Martin was an incredible example of what it means to be a "visionary"(which I define as a common person with an uncommon desire to bring about change in the world.)
Martin often stated he felt called to live a life of service and he demonstrated that up until the day of his death. Coretta did a wonderful recounting various events, stories, hardships and also the pleasant times of Martin's life. He was depicted as man of courage, integrity, intelligence, dedication, vision and above all, supreme faith in God. Martin was beaten, stabbed, lied on, shot, and jailed several times all in the name of ending social injustice. He had doubts(which showed his human side) but not once did he turn his back on the vision with the help of his loving wife, his team and his faith. I am immensely inspired by his level of passion and dedication to creating social change. It is easy to see why although he died in 1968, his legacy will leave on forever.
Tony Rogers Jr
Author of Visionary:Making a difference in a world that needs YOU
Martin often stated he felt called to live a life of service and he demonstrated that up until the day of his death. Coretta did a wonderful recounting various events, stories, hardships and also the pleasant times of Martin's life. He was depicted as man of courage, integrity, intelligence, dedication, vision and above all, supreme faith in God. Martin was beaten, stabbed, lied on, shot, and jailed several times all in the name of ending social injustice. He had doubts(which showed his human side) but not once did he turn his back on the vision with the help of his loving wife, his team and his faith. I am immensely inspired by his level of passion and dedication to creating social change. It is easy to see why although he died in 1968, his legacy will leave on forever.
Tony Rogers Jr
Author of Visionary:Making a difference in a world that needs YOU
July 28, 2025
This biography was published the year after her husband was assassinated. I found her chapters on the Montgomery movement and later campaigns of the civil rights movement were helpful, concise summaries of what transpired. Further, her style of writing was pleasurable and brisk. For some of the events described, the bombing of their Montgomery home on January 30, 1956, Martin was not present so Coretta gives the eyewitness account. Other, much later accounts of the Movement such as Garrow's tome Bearing the Cross: Martin Luther King, Jr. and the SCLC, will describe Coretta as being furious with Martin over some slight or shortcoming. There is nothing in Coretta's biography that would taint her portrayal of Martin as a man who was truly faithful to his values, his beliefs, his wife. She clearly felt she was the guardian of his legacy.
This book is rare and difficult to access, but I enjoyed it in the comfort of my home using the website archive.org.
This book is rare and difficult to access, but I enjoyed it in the comfort of my home using the website archive.org.
April 8, 2020
I enjoyed reading this book for it gave an account of such an unreal, fascinating life. It was written in 1969. If she would have waited a couple of years, the tone might have been different. She is extremely positive about her husband, the cause and others. Truth is, a lot was realised in those years but much more is to be done. Having read more on MLK, I was especially interested in how she experienced the negative qualities. If you're husband is gone multiple times a week, leaves you with many children and there are at least rumours regarding infidelity, it must affect you. She did not succeed in giving a balanced account. It was too soon and perhaps she sees that is possibly harming the cause or private, in which case an autobiography might not have been wise. Taking all into account, an interesting book that could have used more criticality.
July 17, 2020
I really enjoyed this book! I didn't think I would find it as compelling and fascinating as I did. MLK's wife painted a beautiful picture of her husband and their life together. I was so impressed with his accomplishments and determination. He truly was a great leader and facilitated change that was long overdue in this country. I know he had flaws - we all do. But, his wife had a first-hand look at all he did through the ups and downs of the civil rights movement. He was in jail multiple times and often on trumped-up charges. He was the first to go anywhere in the country to help an event succeed. He had the gift of public speaking and could inspire thousands and his words continue to do so. He's on my list of people to meet in heaven someday. I was impressed, inspired, furious, motivated and saddened as I read all he did and accomplished in his life cut too short. Well worth reading!
January 28, 2020
To be honest I did not know much about Martin Luther King Jr. I knew the facts, I had studied his famous speech with my scholars a few times, I had visited the Lorraine Motel but that's about as deep as my knowledge went.
This book was truly transformational. Clearly written it was easy to read and understand. I learned so much about Dr King, his life, and mission. To hear from the person who knew him best about his philosophy, religion, and work was truly inspiring.I will be thinking about this book for a long time. I'm very glad that I read it.
I read the original version not the edited version for children.
This book was truly transformational. Clearly written it was easy to read and understand. I learned so much about Dr King, his life, and mission. To hear from the person who knew him best about his philosophy, religion, and work was truly inspiring.I will be thinking about this book for a long time. I'm very glad that I read it.
I read the original version not the edited version for children.
February 1, 2023
A great collection of quotes from one of the greatest Americans to ever live. They show the context of when they were written or spoken, as well as showing what a kind and loving man King was. I loved all of his quotes, including his views on faith and peace. His beliefs and his actions impacted American and world history in a variety of ways. But his dream is yet to be fulfilled, these quotes challenge us to continue the work he started and finish it when freedom rings, equality is guaranteed for all, and brotherhood and sisterhood unite us all.
March 1, 2019
I really enjoyed hearing about the history of the Civil Rights Movement and the life and work of Martin Luther King Jr. from the perspective of his wife, Coretta Scott King. This telling of the story is unabashedly biased and very rose-colored in its nostalgia, but I appreciate the perspective nevertheless. This book definitely sparked an interest in reading more about the life, philosophy, and work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. He really seems to be an amazing man.
March 11, 2021
Coretta Scott King wrote a touching, heart-felt biography of MLK in the year after his assassination. Her insight into the meaning of his words and changes brought by his non-violent methods brings us better understanding. We also share her constant realization that danger surrounded husband on all sides, reflected in his forewarnings of his early death, etc. She and her whole family are a treasure of courage and strength.
Want to read
April 17, 2023A Renaissance Woman
Coretta Scott was born on April 27, 1927 in Heiberger, Alabama to Obadiah Scott and Bernice McMurry Scott. Coretta Scott graduated valedictorian from Lincoln Normal High School and entered Antioch College in Yellow Springs, Ohio, in 1945. She received a B.A> in music and education from Antioch.
attended- Boston's New England Conservatory of Music
Received- Bachelor of Music in Music Education
Coretta Scott was born on April 27, 1927 in Heiberger, Alabama to Obadiah Scott and Bernice McMurry Scott. Coretta Scott graduated valedictorian from Lincoln Normal High School and entered Antioch College in Yellow Springs, Ohio, in 1945. She received a B.A> in music and education from Antioch.
attended- Boston's New England Conservatory of Music
Received- Bachelor of Music in Music Education
February 29, 2024
This book reminded me how far we have come since the 1950s. We still have so far to go. Black American athletes have earned recognition and are highly paid. They give so much to their racial roots. I frequently look to our youth for optimism. Coretta was a strong woman for her time as well as a talented musician who gave up her quest for a musical career to marry and serve society. Her role was significant in the movement. Glad I read this one.
April 22, 2020
A contemporary story that takes us back into time. With the dream still alive the voice of a wife, lady and stalwart awakens the American experience and the lives of a people who endure unimaginable abuse and what we call today bully tactics.
July 2, 2022
In many ways, Coretta Scott King's autobiography (though I don't think she intended it to be about herself) is completely eclipsed by MLKJr.'s larger-than-life sense of destiny. I read the 1969 version. Her writing is a unique insight into what it's like to be the family of a public figure.
May 5, 2018
I enjoyed her take on life with MLK, the differences in their early lives and how they blended together with family and the rest of the world.
July 23, 2018
An incredible insight into a great Baptist preacher's life, this book digs deep into America's 20th century views on racism and on the man who radically altered them based on his beliefs.
January 9, 2019
Beyond incredible. A well-documented, candid & deeply spiritual door into the life of an amazing man & his inspiring wife. Must-read for everyone who loves equality & peace.
April 28, 2020
A great introduction to the pen of Martin Luther King, Jr. I look forward to reading more of his work!
January 30, 2021
The most important book I have read this year
January 20, 2023
It was a very good book and it was great to hear how much things have changed and how lucky we are that the world is the way it is today
September 18, 2024
It was interesting to see the timeline MLK’s life but the writing was dull. Coretta told her story so calmly that the passion that was in MLK’s speeches could not be felt.
February 18, 2013
"My Life with Martin Luther King, Jr." is Mrs. King's life story, told in her own words, in exactly the way she wanted to tell it. Beautifully written, it captures her journey from Marion, Alabama, to Antioch and then to the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, where she first met Martin Luther King, Jr. The narrative is full of the small details that made Mrs. King the wonderful person she was: her love of music; her gracefully approachable demeanor, her amazing intellect and work ethic.
Indeed, what stayed with me from this amazing text wasn't just the personal description of intimately living through and shaping some of the most important moments in American history, it was Mrs. King's description of her husband's cooking:
"...On Saturdays we did the weekly shopping for groceries together, and Thursday was Martin's night to cook, because I had a six-o'clock class. He had learned to cook when he had the apartment with Philip Lenud, and was quite proud of his ability. In addition to smothered cabbage, he cooked pork chops, fried chicken, pigs' feet, pigs' snout, and pigs' ears. I never liked pigs' ears, but Martin liked them because - his father's son - he said, "They're good and they're cheap."
Moments like this give texture to the history of the civil rights movement and its leaders, regular men and women who ate together, and joked together, and helped create the better parts of the society we have today.
I am blessed to have a signed, first edition of the original printing. It is one of the few material possessions I have that I prize, and it brings me joy every time I open its pages.
Indeed, what stayed with me from this amazing text wasn't just the personal description of intimately living through and shaping some of the most important moments in American history, it was Mrs. King's description of her husband's cooking:
"...On Saturdays we did the weekly shopping for groceries together, and Thursday was Martin's night to cook, because I had a six-o'clock class. He had learned to cook when he had the apartment with Philip Lenud, and was quite proud of his ability. In addition to smothered cabbage, he cooked pork chops, fried chicken, pigs' feet, pigs' snout, and pigs' ears. I never liked pigs' ears, but Martin liked them because - his father's son - he said, "They're good and they're cheap."
Moments like this give texture to the history of the civil rights movement and its leaders, regular men and women who ate together, and joked together, and helped create the better parts of the society we have today.
I am blessed to have a signed, first edition of the original printing. It is one of the few material possessions I have that I prize, and it brings me joy every time I open its pages.
July 15, 2015
This book was published in 1969, and is the story of MLK Jr, his wife Coretta and their four children. It gives a brief history of their lives before they met, and what it was like growing up black in a segregated South. It tells of King's involvement in the Civil Rights movement, how other key people such as the Kennedys were also involved, how King came to be in Memphis where he was assassinated, and tells a little of Coretta's life after her husband's death.
I admit that I knew very little about the Civil Rights movement prior to reading this, and this book was a real eye opener for me. Some of the things that Southern black people experienced prior to desegregation were appalling. So I did learn a lot from reading this book. What I didn't from this book though, was how flawed Martin Luther King Jr was. This is a very idealistic version of their lives, and omits all mention of King's affairs with other women, which occurred while he served as the religious leader in his community, and which King confessed to his wife. It also mentions very little about the assassination, so to learn more about the crime itself I'll have to do more reading.
I admit that I knew very little about the Civil Rights movement prior to reading this, and this book was a real eye opener for me. Some of the things that Southern black people experienced prior to desegregation were appalling. So I did learn a lot from reading this book. What I didn't from this book though, was how flawed Martin Luther King Jr was. This is a very idealistic version of their lives, and omits all mention of King's affairs with other women, which occurred while he served as the religious leader in his community, and which King confessed to his wife. It also mentions very little about the assassination, so to learn more about the crime itself I'll have to do more reading.
May 15, 2009
As I am reading this book, I feel like I am there! Coretta Scott King delivers a story from a humble, courageous, and admirable heart. She left her own musical career, to follow the dreams of her leader, who is the "head of her household", and husband--Martin Luther King. She speaks truthfully, how she saw the minor flaws when she first met Martin, and how it quickly transgressed into a divine connection of love for a leader of all time. I am mesmerized into this story, and history unfolds from a time I was not even born, but my mother was born in 1954.
Some parts of the book, brings tears to my eyes, and reflect on some of the clips I saw from the history channel, movies on Civil Rights Movement, and other historical movements that includes Martin that I have seen prior to reading this book.
4.5 stars.
Some parts of the book, brings tears to my eyes, and reflect on some of the clips I saw from the history channel, movies on Civil Rights Movement, and other historical movements that includes Martin that I have seen prior to reading this book.
4.5 stars.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews