Summary

"I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" is a heartfelt biography of Maya Angelou. It is written about her childhood and teenage years. All can relate to her story of discrimination, poverty, strength, and hope.

In the Introduction, Maya describes a situation in which she desperately desires a beautiful dress. However, when her grandmother makes it, she realizes the dress does not make her any different. The girls in church still make fun of her, and the episode ends with Maya running from the church, embarrassed and urinating on herself, but happy to be free.

In Chapter 1, Maya explains that she and her brother Bailey came to Stamps, Arkansas, alone by train, after being sent to their father's mother as a result of their parents' divorce. Momma, as they call their grandmother, is a proud, strong black store owner in a highly...