Here is a book as joyous and painful, and 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 first memoir, published in 1969 is a modern American classic beloved worldwide.Sent by their mother to 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.� When she journeys at eight to her mother�s side in St. Louis, she is attacked by a man many times her age. Years later, in San Francisco, she learns about love for herself�and has to live with the consequences for a lifetime. The kindness of others, Maya�s 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�now in a beautiful keepsake edition�I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings will touch hearts and change minds as long as people read.