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A review by signeskov
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
challenging
emotional
inspiring
medium-paced
5.0
“Without willing it, I had gone from being ignorant of being ignorant to being aware of being aware. And the worst part of my awareness was that I didn’t know what I was aware of.”
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings is a beautiful and haunting piece of writing on the troubles of growing up black and female in interwar America. But more than that, it is really just that: a story of growing up and the wisdom that comes from experience.
Written in wonderful prose and effectively weaving its tapestry of real-life characters, events, and glimpses of memories, Angelou expresses both childlike wonder, horror, teenage anxiety, and most of all, love of family and self in the most exquisite ways. This is truly a timeless and recommended read and understandably part of the modern American literary canon.
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings is a beautiful and haunting piece of writing on the troubles of growing up black and female in interwar America. But more than that, it is really just that: a story of growing up and the wisdom that comes from experience.
Written in wonderful prose and effectively weaving its tapestry of real-life characters, events, and glimpses of memories, Angelou expresses both childlike wonder, horror, teenage anxiety, and most of all, love of family and self in the most exquisite ways. This is truly a timeless and recommended read and understandably part of the modern American literary canon.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexism, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Homophobia