Product Description

Maya Angelou's six volumes of autobiography are a testament to the talents and resilience of this extraordinary writer. Loving the world, she also knows its cruelty. As a Black woman she has known discrimination and extreme poverty, but also hope, joy, achievement and celebration. In this first volume of her six books of autobiography, Maya Angelou beautifully evokes her childhood with her grandmother in the American south of the 1930s. She learns the power of the white folks at the other end of town and suffers the terrible trauma of rape by her mother's lover. 'I write about being a Black American woman, however, I am always talking about what it's like to be a human being. This is how we are, what makes us laugh, and this is how we fall and how we somehow, amazingly, stand up again' Maya Angelou

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #3656 in Books
• Published on: 1998-01-03
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 320 pages

Review
'I know that not since the days of my childhood, when people in books were more real than the people one saw every day, have I found myself more moved' James Baldwin

Sunday Express
‘powerfully emotional, thought-provoking and brilliantly written’

MARIE CLAIRE
'There's currently a glut of true-life stories written by
survivors of abuse, but this inspirational 1969 book is one of the first -
and the best ... [it] is testament to the immense strength of this
extraordinary woman'

Customer Reviews

This is the most thought provoking book I have ever read.
I was hesitant to read this book at first, I thought that it looked too long and would be boring to read. Now looking back, I know I was wrong. This autobiogaphical masterpiece is set in America in the 1930's. Maya Angelou starts the book with an excerpt from a play that she was in when she was very young. She uses humour to describe the way she feels at the time. Throughout the book, she uses lots of description to put the picture in the readers mind of her surroundings and feelings. This book tackles the racist issues that are still present in todays society. She tells us of how her father moved her away from her Grandmothers place, where she lived with her brother Bailey, and their family, to go and live with her mother. While she is over there , her mothers lover rapes her. As this is the tale of her own life, Maya Angelou has expressed the way she felt at this time incredibly well. The issues in her life at this time, are so serious it is unbelievable to think that she could possibly write a book about it , and tell the world her life story. Her troubled and exceedingly brave child hood really opened my eyes to how fortunate I am , not having to deal with such things, and I expect that anyone else who has read this book would feel the same . As Maya Angelou takes us through her life, we as active readers can expect to feel lots of different emotions. Laugh or cry, you will really get involved in her story. This book has made a big impression on me , and I will definitely be reading her other books, in hope that it will be as good as this one.

A brilliant book
I had to read this book for a school project and at first I thought that reading the autobiography of someone that I'd never heard of would be slightly pointless. However, as we began to read the book, I discovered that previous knowledge of the author was not necessary to read and relate to this fantastically written and deeply emotional story.
Although, at times, the story (and Angelou's life) is traumatic and stressful, much of it is based on the ongoing theme of how she (and the people around her) can overcome the prejudice, hatred and lack of power that is forced upon them by the white people in their community. Angelou describes how she defeats the whites in her own personal ways, such as managing to become the first black person to work on the San Francisco streetcars.
Many people would find inspiration in this story of a child who, growing up in unfortunate and tragic circumstances, manages to overcome the racism and loathing thrown at her by not only the whites, but the other characters, such as her mother's partner, Mr Freeman, and her father's girlfriend, Dolores.
I would recommend this book to anyone, but especially those interested in American history, or the history of racism.
Maya's story is one of success and triumph through some of the most difficult situations that life could through at you.

A beautifully written piece of work.
At first I was reluctant to read a biography of some woman.As I started the first chapter I couldn't put it down. Never have I felt this strongly about a book, it just reaches down into a person's soul and stirs raw emotion. I feel that some how I can identify with what Mrs. Angelou is trying to say in her book. After reading "I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings," I knew that I had to buy the sequels to her adventurous and phenominal life.