Reviews

Yo Sé Por Qué Canta El Pájaro Enjaulado, by Maya Angelou

readingwithkaitlyn's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Death, Pedophilia, Sexual violence, Rape, Violence, Racism, Sexual harassment, Abandonment, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Body shaming, Ableism, Sexism, Grief, Mental illness, Alcohol, Pregnancy, Injury/injury detail, Sexual content, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Misogyny, Medical content, and Child abuse

Minor: Child death, Bullying, War, Infidelity, Car accident, Police brutality, Torture, Slavery, Infertility, Adult/minor relationship, Excrement, Blood, Suicidal thoughts, Homophobia, Drug use, and Classism

Poverty, WWII, concentration camps, Japanese displacement, homelessness, d slur.

skersh68's review against another edition

emotional informative inspiring sad

5.0

 

The title I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings comes from the poem “Sympathy” by the African American poet Paul Laurence Dunbar. In the poem, he depicts a bird in a cage that sings a prayer in the hope that it will be freed. 

I Know Why the Caged Birds Sings is the 1969 autobiography of the writer and poet Maya Angelou. The book tells the life of Maya and her brother Bailey growing up in Stamps Arkansas, St. Louis, and in California. Maya and her brother were sent to live with her grandmother Annie Henderson when she was five years old after her mother and father split up. While living in Stamps with her grandmother and Uncle Willie. Maya had to learn how to deal with abandonment and the prejudice of the town’s Po white trash. While living in Stamps Maya fell in love with books. When Maya was eight years old, she and Bailey were sent to live with her mother in St. Louis. While there Maya experienced and went through things that a child shouldn’t have to go through at her age or any age.  During the midst of all her struggles as a child, she learned how to overcome them. 

camaellia's review against another edition

emotional inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.5

ranjkrish88's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.0

agda's review against another edition

Tenho um pouco de medo de ler Maya angelou 
Tenho estado muito triste por mim e acho que não tenho como ficar triste por ela no momento

susannadkm's review against another edition

4.0

“The Black female is assaulted in her tender years by all those common forces of nature at the same time that she is caught in the tripartite crossfire of masculine prejudice, white illogical hate and Black lack of power. 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.” (Chapter 34)

I’m a little embarrassed that until a few months ago, I thought this was a book of poetry. Nope. It’s an unflinching account of a hard, hard childhood. Angelou doesn’t write about very many white people crossing her path, but their oppressive presence is felt throughout. I was struck by little Bailey’s question after seeing a Black man’s body wash up in a river.

“The colored men backed off and I did too, but the white man stood there, looking down, and grinned. Uncle Willie, why do they hate us so much?” (Chapter 25).

I do think the book would have been better if it were a little shorter.

I listened to the audiobook read by Maya Angelou.

lisaelise13's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad slow-paced

4.75

jzanzonico's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny hopeful inspiring medium-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse

vikingllama's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Child abuse, and Racial slurs

aoifetriestoread's review against another edition

challenging emotional inspiring reflective fast-paced

5.0

This is genuinely the best book I’ve ever read in my life. From cover to cover I was hooked on every word. I’ve already started reading her second autobiography.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Rape, Racism, and Child abuse