I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings

Maya Angelou’s life story is told in the documentary film And Still, I Rise, as seen on PBS’s American Masters. Her debut memoir, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, captures the longing of lonely children and the wonder of words that can make the world right. Angelou’s story was a difficult one to tell—she had been raped at eight years old and spent much of her childhood moving from place to place. She needed to find her voice and learn how to write. Angelou sent her young son off to live with his father in California and struggled for years to get published. I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings has sold millions of copies and is one of Angelou's most acclaimed works.