Have you ever read a book that changes your outlook on the way you live? In the book “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” by Maya Angelou writes about her experiences in her lifetime, starting from when she was a young child and was forced to move to the south with her grandmother. This is a book that will change your outlook on how you lived as a child, teen, and young adult as you learn about the struggles Angelou faced living as an African American child in the south during the segregation period. As you read further, you come across vivid details on how she lived with her brother, uncle, grandmother, and in some parts of the book, her biological parents. She writes about the way she felt as a child and teen, and how her experiences made her feel emotionally, and in one tragic case, physically. Throughout the book, the author, Maya Angelou uses descriptive text and sensory details to describe the struggles she and her family faces as colored individuals, which will easily make any reader feel as though they are there, experiencing the struggles as well.
Through reading, you will soon come to realize why Angelou has become the amazing and inspirational mentor and writer she is today.
This read is interesting for anyone from teens, young adults, or even adult readers that want some inspiration in their life. Teens would relate to this because of the way the Angelou describes going through puberty as a girl and the confusing emotions that she discovers within herself. Teens would also perhaps find this book intriguing due to the sever differences in lifestyles from the earlier 1900’s and today. It might be shocking to some how much manual labor and work was required at such a young age. I feel that it gives readers a reality check on how much America has changed from then to now.
Overall, I loved this book. It gave me a great sense of gratitude on how my life is compared to the hard life Maya Angelou lived. It makes you count your blessings, but also learn from the experiences and issues she faced growing up. Personally, I would recommend this book to anyone high school age or older who would want an interesting read on an extremely interesting woman’s life. Definitely a five star book because of the writing style, detailed story telling, and incredible amount of voice. Maya Angelou is an incredible author and somebody I would want to read more books by.