4 stars because only God gets 5 stars. This is the quintessential reference for native Hawaiian history, ethnobotany, culture, language, and lifestyle. It doesn't just cover what is what. It covers the who, what, when, where, why, and how. The depth of the coverage goes all the way to the migration routes. Unfortunately, a hard-back edition was never made. The book is worth every penny and is guaranteed to go up in value - CK

This book was VERY,VERY DISAPPOINTING!It had only 2 chapters on 30yrs.of being a SLAVE(if you can believe that!) and 13 CHAPTERS
on 4 yrs. in the White House!!
GO FIGURE!!!!! I am SO SORRY I had my daughter get this book for me for Mother's DAY!

The story/diary it self I found wasn't written very good.However I found Ms.Keckley's relationship with Mrs.Mary Todd Lincoln and her family intersting.
She gave some insightfll thoughts about Mary and Abraham that was quite a treat to read.

I got a copy of this book from a book fair not on purpose. As a non-native English learner, what strikes me is the ability of Keckley to express rich emotions in very simple words and sentences. I always like reading first person narratives, fictions or true stories, but seldom find one as captivating as this. A five-star from me and it's a pity she didn't seem
to have written other books.