The life stories of these "daughters of Africa" are sometimes playful and sometimes painful but always aweinspiring in their truth and candor. Sweeping across history and over continents, they portray the energy, creativity, and resilience of black women such as Ana Quirot, a Cuban runner who overcame lifethreatening burns to triumph in the Olympic games/ Yelena Khanga, a black Russian woman who hosts the most popular television show in Russia and performs with a comedy troupe in New York/ and Lulu Shite, the diamondstudded madam of Mahogany Hall in New Orleans.Organized by field of endeavor, chapters include African Queens/ Slaves Who Refused to Bow/ Freedom Fighters, Rabble Rousers, and Audacious Advocates/ Powerful Politicos and Bold Businesswomen/ and Sassy Songbirds, Dazzling Dancers, and Talented Thespians.