Maya Angelou’s autobiographical 1969 novel showed the heart and resilience of Blacks in the rural South during a time when racism was norm. In the book, Angelou faces prejudice and sexual assault, yet finds her strength and courage in books and the inspiring power of the written word.  The book can be summed up in the poem of the same name, in which Angelou speaks for many when she wrote: “The caged bird sings with a fearful trill of things unknown but longed for still and his tune is heard on the distant hill for the caged bird sings of freedom.”

~ Jennifer Jones

Purchase "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" here.