A landmark memoir of strength, survival, and self-expression from one of the most beloved voices in American literature.

In the first volume of her extraordinary autobiography, Maya Angelou recounts her childhood growing up in the segregated South of the 1930s. Raised by her grandmother in a small Arkansas town, young Maya experiences the joys of books and the sting of prejudice. But after a traumatic assault at the hands of her mother’s boyfriend, her world is forever changed—and her journey toward reclaiming her voice begins.

Both tender and unflinching, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings is a powerful coming-of-age story that captures the pain, poetry, and perseverance of a young Black girl discovering who she is—and how to rise.

✨ “A brilliant writer, a fierce friend and a truly phenomenal woman.” — Barack Obama
📖 "She moved through the world with unshakable calm, confidence, and a fierce grace.” — Oprah Winfrey