I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings

4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars | 35,907 ratings

Price: 15.75

Last update: 09-28-2024


About this item

Sent by their mother to live with their devout, 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 about love for herself and 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 is a modern American classic that will touch hearts and change minds for as long as people read - or listen.


Top reviews from the United States

Stephen Mahoney
5.0 out of 5 stars Beautifully written - Compelling reading - True American Classic
Reviewed in the United States on June 12, 2014
This book is worth reading on a lot of levels. First, her use of language describing her insights and observations is profound and beautiful. Example 1: "Then the wife who had been so charming and ready to smile changed into a silent shadow that played infrequently along the walls." Example 2: "The fact that the adult American Negro female emerges a formidable character is often met with amazement, distaste and even belligerence. It is seldom accepted as an inevitable outcome of the struggle won by survivors and deserves respect if not enthusiastic acceptance." Example 3: "The quality of strength lined with tenderness is an unbeatable combination, as are intelligence and necessity when unblunted by formal education." Example 4: "He was a simple man who had no inferiority complex about his lack of education and, even more amazing, no superiority complex because he had succeeded despite that lack."

Second. The stories she tells give a flavor of living in that place and time, as well as the cultural differences. For example she tells a story that starts with: "One afternoon, I was invited into our smoke-filled dining room to make the acquaintance of Stonewall Jimmy, Just Black, Cool Clyde, Tight Coat, and Red Leg. Daddy Cidell explained to me that they were the most successful con men in the world, and they were going to tell me about some games so that I would never be 'anybody's mark.'"

Third. She gives specific examples of how the Black culture differed form the White, specifically the educated Black youth. Example: "We were alert to the gap separating the written word from the colloquial. We learned to slide out of one language and into another without being conscious of the effort. At school, in a given situation, we might respond with 'That's not unusual.' But in the street, meeting the same situation, we easily said, 'It be's like that sometimes.'"

Fourth. She depicts the good, the bad and the ugly, not only in herself and her family but also in the Black and White culture. She does not gloss over her fears and failures. She does this not in a judgmental, mean or racist way, but almost as a non involved bystander would, or a journalist trying to be fair.

There is much wisdom in this book and I hope my review will encourage you to read it.
Diane NJ
5.0 out of 5 stars brilliant
Reviewed in the United States on August 4, 2024
I read this book when I About 12, signed it out from our tiny library and read it in a day. I learned a lot, had to look words up, finally asked my Mum to explain a few things to me, which she did then read it herself. We both agreed it was a masterpiece. Now 61, I thought I should reread it. It all came back to me, clear as day. This book taught me so much. The fact it’s banned in some schools is beyond sad. It’s a masterpiece.
Bokery
5.0 out of 5 stars An exciting memoir of a black child growing in the US
Reviewed in the United States on September 10, 2024
I didn't know that it was a true memoir of the author's childhood until I read the author's thanking page, which corresponded to many of the main characters in the book. I just assumed that the story is too eventful to be a real one, but I guess I was wrong. The author has gone through turbulent life, first being grown by her grandmom down south in Arkansas and then with her mother in San Francisco. Despite the harsh life in the segregated south and many other hurdles all along her life, she is able to portray these memories with a lot of warmth and compassion, conveying the message that justice and fairness will prevail, eventually. This is a great reading which I very much enjoyed and recommend.
natalie fulton
4.0 out of 5 stars Great
Reviewed in the United States on March 10, 2024
Ordered yesterday evening and came today!! Book came with a couple marks on the front, but nothing major. Pages are nice and evenly organized. Can't be more excited to start reading!
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natalie fulton
4.0 out of 5 stars Great
Reviewed in the United States on March 10, 2024
Ordered yesterday evening and came today!! Book came with a couple marks on the front, but nothing major. Pages are nice and evenly organized. Can't be more excited to start reading!
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars I know why the Caged Bird Sings
Reviewed in the United States on September 4, 2024
It was a very real novel, no sugar coating here! I would recommend the parent read the book first then the child as the parent can discuss it the contents of the novel. It was an excellent novel-one that should be required in middle school reading!
Maurice Miles Martinez
5.0 out of 5 stars Maya Angelou Inspired My Poetry and Writing!!!
Reviewed in the United States on October 2, 2021
I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings, is a Memoir by Maya Angelou. Like my book, The Real Wakandas of Africa, this book discusses racism in America. The book brilliantly engages the reader with the kind yet honest voice of the author as you experience her life from a child to African American icon. Her memoir is brutally honest and will grip you as you turn through its pages. This book is also available in audio format and were read by Maya Angelou. While she was alive, I had the pleasure of hearing her speak. Her cadence will grab you. Her words will make you think, and you will walk away a different person from this book. I can personally say that after hearing her speak, I was inspired to write some of my first conscious poetry which I continue today in podcast form. She will take you on a journey through her childhood and her life as a poet. Like this book, I also discuss racism in my book The Real Wakandas of Africa. However, I detail the beauty of African history before slavery and colonialism. Prior to slavery and European colonialism Africans built the tallest building in the world which stood as the tallest building for more than 4000 years. Africans performed surgery on the eye to remove cataracts 700 years ago, and conducted cesarean sections in Central Africa with antiseptics hundreds of years before they were performed in Europe or America. They smelted carbon steel 2000 years before Americans or Europeans knew about this process. In the field of astronomy, they charted star systems for hundreds of years before they were uncovered by American telescopes. Africans also built the longest wall in the world for which I also wrote a book called: The Great Wall of Africa: The Empire of Benin’s 10,000 Mile Long Wall. Unfortunately, this history has been ignored by books that discuss racism, and the exclusion of this contributes to the misunderstanding of Black history. Maya Angelou inspired me to in so many ways. She has inspired me to become a poet and author. Her book will keep you engaged and on the edge of your seat! Pick up your copy of her book today!
Customer image
Maurice Miles Martinez
5.0 out of 5 stars Maya Angelou Inspired My Poetry and Writing!!!
Reviewed in the United States on October 2, 2021
I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings, is a Memoir by Maya Angelou. Like my book, The Real Wakandas of Africa, this book discusses racism in America. The book brilliantly engages the reader with the kind yet honest voice of the author as you experience her life from a child to African American icon. Her memoir is brutally honest and will grip you as you turn through its pages. This book is also available in audio format and were read by Maya Angelou. While she was alive, I had the pleasure of hearing her speak. Her cadence will grab you. Her words will make you think, and you will walk away a different person from this book. I can personally say that after hearing her speak, I was inspired to write some of my first conscious poetry which I continue today in podcast form. She will take you on a journey through her childhood and her life as a poet. Like this book, I also discuss racism in my book The Real Wakandas of Africa. However, I detail the beauty of African history before slavery and colonialism. Prior to slavery and European colonialism Africans built the tallest building in the world which stood as the tallest building for more than 4000 years. Africans performed surgery on the eye to remove cataracts 700 years ago, and conducted cesarean sections in Central Africa with antiseptics hundreds of years before they were performed in Europe or America. They smelted carbon steel 2000 years before Americans or Europeans knew about this process. In the field of astronomy, they charted star systems for hundreds of years before they were uncovered by American telescopes. Africans also built the longest wall in the world for which I also wrote a book called: The Great Wall of Africa: The Empire of Benin’s 10,000 Mile Long Wall. Unfortunately, this history has been ignored by books that discuss racism, and the exclusion of this contributes to the misunderstanding of Black history. Maya Angelou inspired me to in so many ways. She has inspired me to become a poet and author. Her book will keep you engaged and on the edge of your seat! Pick up your copy of her book today!
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t.d.m
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book
Reviewed in the United States on July 30, 2024
Intimate beauty, raw
Hold backs no punches
Inspirational to tell my story

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