I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou

I went into this book very hesitantly. I did not know much about it, but I did know that she had had a horrible experience as a child. Hmm... I  didn't know if I was up to reading that. Now that I have read this one, I am so pleased I did!

I Know why he Caged Bird Sings is the first of Maya Angelou's autobiographies. This one goes from her earliest childhood memories to when she was 17.

This book is beautifully crafted. Maya Angelou (not surprisingly) has a beautiful poetic style that she laces throughout this tale. The figurative language is exquisite.

Because this is the story of her first 17 years, and because it was so well-written, my heart bled throughout. I felt indignity and hopelessness, I felt the sharp pain of injustice and the complete warmth of the love between a brother and a sister. One part that really touched me (there were so many) was her graduation ceremony, where they had a white politician come to their school and ever so ignorantly discuss all the developments and equipment they were going to put in the white school near by, "but don't worry, we are going to give you guys better playgrounds". On a day that she should have been celebrating a future, planning for a future, Angelou felt broken down and hopeless. Until. But I will leave you to read it and discover.

Angelou narrates this with the wisdom of an adult, even though she is telling her life story as a child. Her understanding of the people closest to her was beyond mature. I loved her spirit in this book. She fought for what she wanted and didn't give up, and I admired her so much for that.

A fantastic book. I hope to work my way through the six books that make up her autobiography, because, if I had to find a fault with this, it would be the sudden end. I gave this 5 stars. Fantastic.