ather ford ▁and ▁illustrated ▁by ▁F loyd ▁Cooper , ▁originally ▁published ▁by ▁W ords ong . ▁It ▁won ▁an ▁honor ary ▁Cor etta ▁Scott ▁King ▁Award ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 9 . ▁ ▁Syn opsis ▁ ▁Through ▁a ▁series ▁of ▁po ems , ▁We ather ford ▁out lines ▁the ▁evolution ▁from ▁Ele an ora ▁F agan ▁to ▁ren owned ▁singer ▁Bill ie ▁Hol iday . ▁T old ▁from ▁Bill ie ' s ▁own ▁perspective , ▁she ▁mus es ▁on ▁the ▁first ▁ 2 5 ▁years ▁of ▁her ▁life . ▁Most ▁po ems ▁are ▁titled ▁after ▁actual ▁Bill ie ▁Hol iday ▁songs . ▁The ▁book ▁starts ▁with ▁po ems ▁about ▁her ▁young ▁life . ▁Det ail ing ▁events ▁like ▁her ▁father ' s ▁abandon ment , ▁her ▁tom boy ish ▁attitude , ▁and ▁her ▁time ▁spent ▁in ▁an ▁or phan age ▁with ▁n uns . ▁It ▁continues ▁into ▁her ▁ad oles c ence ▁with ▁po ems ▁about ▁her ▁first ▁gig ▁singing ▁jazz , ▁dec iding ▁to ▁change ▁her ▁name , ▁and ▁her ▁many ▁relationships ▁with ▁men . ▁We ather ford ' s ▁book ▁ends ▁with ▁Hol iday ' s ▁rising ▁fame ▁and ▁the ▁t ension ▁of ▁rac ism ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States . ▁The ▁last ▁poem ▁illustr ates ▁Hol iday ' s ▁memor able ▁performance ▁at ▁the ▁C afé ▁Society , ▁singing ▁the ▁song ▁" Str ange ▁F ruit ." ▁At ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁book , ▁there ▁are ▁pages ▁giving ▁information ▁for ▁further ▁reading ▁and ▁bi ograph ies ▁of ▁others ▁mentioned ▁in