Read this when
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
She stopped talking for years because she thought her words were dangerous. Then someone handed her a book. 📖
Who it's for
Angelou tells the rape she suffered at eight from Mr.
Feelings it meets
What it is
Maya Angelou's 1969 autobiography follows her from age three to seventeen, starting when she and her brother Bailey are sent to live with their grandmother, Momma, in Stamps, Arkansas, where they face racism. At eight she is sexually abused by her mother's boyfriend; believing her testimony led to his death, she stops speaking for years until Mrs. Flowers draws her back to language through books and encouragement.
Where to find it
In print and widely available; libraries (Libby/Hoopla); audiobook read by Maya Angelou. A 1979 TV film exists. Not public domain.
Before you start
Heads up: Rape of a child, described.
Age: Ages 14+
When I stand before thee at the day's end thou shalt see my scars and know that I had my wounds and also my healing.Rabindranath Tagore, Stray Birds, no. 290
