Here is a book as joyous and painful, as mysterious and memorable, as childhood itself. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings captures the longing of lonely children, the brute insult of bigotry, and the wonder of words that can make the world right. Maya Angelou’s debut memoir is a modern American classic beloved worldwide. Sent by their mother to live with their devout, self-sufficient grandmother … self-sufficient grandmother in a small Southern town, Maya and her brother, Bailey, endure the ache of abandonment and the prejudice of the local “powhitetrash.” At eight years old and back at her mother’s side in St. Louis, Maya is attacked by a man many times her age—and has to live with the consequences for a lifetime. Years later, in San Francisco, Maya learns that love for herself, the kindness of others, her own strong spirit, and the ideas of great authors (“I met and fell in love with William Shakespeare”) will allow her to be free instead of imprisoned.
Poetic and powerful, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings will touch hearts and change minds for as long as people read.
“I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings liberates the reader into life simply because Maya Angelou confronts her own life with such a moving wonder, such a luminous dignity.”—James Baldwin
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Here is another book I read when I was in Jr High. This was an eye opening book. My Mom read it with me so that we could talk about the book and so that she could assure that I understood what I was reading. There are some pretty adult themes in this book. However, I found that it was a book filled with hope and strength. I found it to be inspiring. I read it again as an adult and loved it just as much. This is Maya Angelou’s autobiography but could easily be the story of many young girls.
I read this book in grade school and I still re-read. its a story of how a young girl overcomes .
I would have gladly continued reading this book for another 500 if it had been an option. Maya Angelou’s autobiography about her childhood is, like life, a mixture of joy and pain. However, she survived the kind of hardships that would break many people. Instead of breaking, she became stronger, wiser, and more determined. Her writing style is so unique. Her voice, direct and unashamed . She is truly an American treasure.
Maya Angelou has written a wonderful book which describes some very difficult challenges which happened to her as a child and how she has overcome them, through the use of words. I highly recommend this book to all who want to understand more about Maya’s life.
Powerful, poetic, and tragic story of Maya childhood is one am glad I came across. She grew up with her religious grandmother who is quite extreme with her belief and she’s a tough woman who doesn’t tolerate Bullshit, she built her faith while her mother gave her power to be the best version of herself . She grew up in poverty, stark racism and gender stereotyped environment which became things she stood up for in later years.She went through traumatizing experiences, she was raped at age 8 by her mother’s husband and couldn’t speak up in court during his trial, living between her parents divorce, and getting ill treated by her step mother. She was a brilliant young girl growing up, her stutterness and numbeness was alleviated by reading books and reciting poems under the supervision of her a neighbor she really admired. Reading books changed her personality and perspective towards life. Admist all the drama of getting pregnant unexpectedly, keeping it secret for about 8 months from her parents, and persevering through the process of getting her first job despite been rejected several times.
I particularly loved her tenacity towards reading books, pursuing her first job and courage for putting out this story with an unapologetic undertone. I am inspired to keep on reading meaningful books and go after my goals regardless of life circumstances. Her mother played a major role in building her attitudes towards life and goal setting. Definately reading this again..
This book has stayed with me my whole life, ever since I first opened it up and followed along with Maya Angelou’s journey. Thank you for such an amazing, unapologetic glimpse into the upbringing that defined you.
This is a great book! It is funny, sad, tragic, so many different emotions passed through me as I read this book. The story focuses on the author, Maya Angelou, as a child. It helped me to see a different side of life, one that is filled with tragedy, sadness, discrimination, poverty, so many things I never experienced. It was an eye-opening experience, but one I would totally recommend.
Angelou can convey her lack of comfort with her own beauty in a way that is both honest and inspiring. She takes the story of a life of hardship and spins it in a way that makes you realize all our challenges are merely bumps in the path that we can choose dwell on or simply go around or through.
This coming of age book by Maya Angelou tells of a little girls search for identity. It shows fortitude in the face of adversity and a triumph over conflict. As a young girl, Maya was raped by her mother’s boyfriend. The ordeal so traumatized her that she quit speaking. It took the power of language and nurturing from a caring teacher to give her back her voice. Her grandmother gave her the lesson of faith, but it was her mother that gave her the lesson of power and the courage to live life on her terms.
I read this book years ago when i was in elementary school and I loved this book I learned a lot from one of my favorite poets I didn’t know she was raped at a very young age. and then i started continuing reading books written by her! Just wish she was still living!
I will be reading this book again and again. It is really special.
This is a delightful book that is both informative and entertaining. It is also thought-provoking. It shows a black person’s perspective of living in white world in the South beginning in 1928 when the author was born. It wasn’t a happy world or a pretty one, but a sad and scary place to live, if you were black. Yet, Angelou overcame her difficulties to become a great writer and poet.
This is a classic!
It just spoke to me
My only regret is that I didn’t read this brilliant book MANY years ago! All of Maya Angelou’s writing SHOULD be a REQUIREMENT for all U.S.high school graduates!
This book saved my time. The book deals with some very adult topics even though Maya Angelou is writing about her childhood, but because I was going through some rough times the first time I read it as a child, it helped me to know I was not along. Also, Dr. Angelou showed me, a young Black girl who loved writing, that a writing life was possible.
I may or not have known that Ms Angelou meant for her books to be read in a particular order prior to starting them .
This installation is definitely a lot more detailed than others that I’ve come across. In it she talks at length about her being abused by Mr Freeman (mother’s boyfriend), assaulted by her stepmother and loved tenderly by her grandmother and brother .
I am enjoying listening to her life’s experiences. At times, I get emotional but then I also laugh out loud as well.
Never having read any Maya Angelou before and not knowing what to expect, I was so glad to have listened to the author herself read the book in the audio version. Her delivery and cadence of speech is very personal and unique. Ms. Angelou’s command of language; her use of ordinary words fashioned into phrases that paint pictures in the reader’s mind is truly extra-ordinary. Her story and especially her dense and layered writing made me hunger for more.
Liked it, I had seen Maya on Oprah and could feel her voice and feel he emotion and wisdom as she appeared to be reading her book to me
Maya is the most amazing story teller. After I read this I was compelled to read EVERYTHING she ever wrote.