Maya Angelou is an American icon for a number of reasons: her poetry is compelling, her history is inspiring and her activism is game-changing. So when our book club decided to pick up Angelou’s first autobiographical work, I was very excited to learn more about this person that had made such an impact on American society. The book is not always a light read, speaking to heavy themes of rape and racism, but it is a book of hope as Angelou finds a way to build character and act according to her values. In these ways, this book deserve its place as a iconic book in the world of literature.

There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.

There is a lot to unpack from the book but some historical context is useful. Angelou started writing this book in response to a challenge by her friend James Baldwin to explore a new medium and to tell her story. In a lot of ways, she was one of the first black women to tell her story in a manner that was so popularly consumable. That comes across from various segments of the book, where I can see inspirations for later black authors including those that I’ve reviewed on this blog.

Hoping for the best, prepared for the worst, and unsurprised by anything in between.

An obvious feature of Angelou’s story is that it was so unique but also representative of the black diaspora at the time. Angelou doesn’t live in a traditional family unit and she is both betrayed by her family (in this case, when she was raped by her mother’s boyfriend) and saved by her community (with Mrs Flowers exposing her to literature). Angelou learns to extend her world to gain a footing on the craziness of her life and she matures quickly. Perhaps this is a feature of an autobiographical work, where she is able to reflect back on her time while speaking to it, but her actions demonstrate a maturity that is hard to recognize in a lot of kids her age.

To be left alone on the tightrope of youthful unknowing is to experience the excruciating beauty of full freedom and the threat of eternal indecision.

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings is not meant to be pity magnet. It ‘s meant to set the stage for the rest of Angelou’s work and to demonstrate the character she built in order to deal with the rest of the crazy that was to come her way. The story of hope and of excitement for what life could actually offer comes through, especially at the later half of the book where she becomes a young woman and chooses her own path.

Words mean more than what is set down on paper. It takes the human voice to infuse them with shades of deeper meaning.

Perhaps most important of my reflections is that Angelou keeps proving that it is not just experiences and stories that make a person but the character and attitude engaged with them as well that is of value. It is the holistic reality of both product and producer, a messy process in action, that is art and truth. Meaning is derived from truly trying to understand the journey made for someone to be able to create what they do.

The book is slightly lengthy and does little to maintain continuity between chapters – often times, it’s possible to get confused on which stage of Angelou’s life you’re reading about. Much of this can be attributed to the fact that the autobiographical work is tied to memory and the in-betweens are perhaps not as interesting but Angelou makes up for it with her own stylistic choices that are entertaining. I’m always a bit nervous when I choose to read an autobiography lest it be a mere PR tool for the celebrity in question, but Angelou’s first work is a classic and worth the purchase.

Here are my ratings:

Readability: 5/5

Intellectual Stimulation: 3/5

Perspective Shifting Capability: 4/5

Would I Recommend? – Yes!