Here is a book as joyous and painful, and as mysterious and memorable, as childhood itself. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings captures the longing of lonely children, the brute insult of bigotry, and the wonder of words that can make the world right. Maya Angelou#146;s first memoir, published in 1969 is a modern American classic beloved worldwide. Sent by their mother to their devout, self-sufficient grandmother in a small Southern town, Maya and her brother, Bailey, endure the ache of abandonment and the prejudice of the local “powhitetrash.#148; When she journeys at eight to her mother#146;s side in St. Louis, she is attacked by a man many times her age. Years later, in San Francisco, she learns about love for herself#150;and has to live with the consequences for a lifetime. The kindness of others, Maya#146;s own strong spirit, and the ideas of great authors (“I met and fell in love with William Shakespeare#148;) will allow her to be free instead of imprisoned. Poetic and powerful#150;now in a beautiful keepsake edition#150; I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings will touch hearts and change minds as long as people read.