First published 1981
Sidney Poitier opens his story on the small islands of the Bahamas, where his childhood unfolds far from the glittering world he would later inhabit. He carries readers through his arrival in New York, a young man encountering a vast city that would reshape his destiny. Poitier navigates the complexities of building a career while managing personal relationships that prove equally challenging. His two marriages test his capacity for commitment, while an intense eight-year romance with actress Diahann Carroll creates emotional turbulence that mirrors his professional struggles. Through decades of filmmaking, Poitier builds the career that would make him the first Black actor to win an Academy Award for Best Actor. His story reveals the tension between public achievement and private vulnerability, showing how success in Hollywood demands sacrifices that extend far beyond the screen.
Genres: biography, drama, family-life, 20th-century, african-american, autobiography, biography-memoir, 21st-century
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: coming-of-age, personal-growth, rags-to-riches
Setting: Bahamas, New York
Period: 20th Century, 21st Century
416 pages · Mass Market Paperback · Ballantine Books