Book review: ‘Bread of Angels’ by Patti Smith

Patti Smith’s memoir Bread of Angels describes her life and development as an artist from her underprivileged early childhood to the present day. The book places most emphasis on Smith’s early years, and less on the periods in her life already covered in her previous memoirs Just Kids and M-Train. As with Smith’s earlier memoirs, I very much enjoyed this book.

Smith recounts her poor upbringing, her childhood adventures with siblings and friends, her youthful precociousness, and an early unplanned pregnancy. She eventually moves out and begins to develop as an artist and musician. Smith describes her influences and encounters with the likes of Bob Dylan, Allen Ginsberg, Robert Mapplethorpe, Sam Shephard, Bruce Springsteen and the Dalai Lama. After she meets and marries the love of her life, Fred ‘Sonic’ Smith, family life pretty much takes over until her husband’s premature death. Smith goes on to recount her subsequent return to music and writing, and some other major events in her life, including the discovery of her true parentage and being re-united with the child she had put up for adoption in her youth.

I would recommend any book by Patti Smith. This one is no exception.