Maya Angelou
A Literary Legend
London
St . Charles
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 .
Though I had been aware of the name and knew that Maya Angelou was a special woman , it wasn ’ t until I read , I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings in high school that I fell in love with her writing and understood why she was exceptionally special .
The story , told so honestly from a child ’ s perspective , drew me into her world . The journey of a young black girl who felt abandoned after being sent on a train along with her brother , Bailey , to live with their paternal grandmother in Stamps Arkansas . During this time , bigotry and prejudice against black folk was the normal way of life . Four years later , at the age of eight , Maya ’ s father disrupted her world again , this time sending them to live with their mother in St . Louis .
Maya was sexually abused and raped at the hands of her mother ’ s boyfriend . The life-altering injustice had consequences that plagued Maya for years . She suffered from selective mutism following the murder of the man who assaulted her . Maya thought her voice killed him because she told his name and she believed her voice was powerful enough to kill anyone . During her five-year silence , Maya ’ s impressive memory and love for books and literature developed , ultimately transforming her the woman we knew and loved to this very day .
The beauty of I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings is in the way Maya tells the story . Her words , descriptive and raw , flow freely . Uncensored . Unapologetic . Passionate . My heart raced as I read . I experienced the hurt and sadness through her eyes and developed empathy for little Maya . I also broke through barriers with Maya as she discovered herself once again . She was strong , inspiring , and proof that great things can be accomplished through overcoming pain and a having positive outlook on life .
My shelf is filled with hundreds of books that I have , and will , only read once . Except I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings . Every so often , I ’ ll pick it up and sink into the prose and experience that fall and rise all over again .
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