Reviews with content warning for Racial slurs - I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings is a touching story of life for a Black girl growing up in the first half of the 20th century. Angelou faces racism in all different shades, and perseveres despite the world stacking everything it has against her. As this first chapter of her story unfolds, we see the influences around her that shaped her childhood and inspired her to become a determined young woman.

From a purely technical perspective, I had a hard time following this book. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings remains objectively an incredibly important memoir and should be read. It’s also a little cluttered with poetic musings that detract from the overall arc of the story. It’s also a book I would recommend picking up in its actual print form rather than as an audiobook. Well many audiobooks read by their original authors add a particular level of magic, Angelou’s reading is very much like someone reading a book aloud. It is palatable, but not exciting.

None of these things, you’ll know, detract from the overall quality of the book. I think Angelou‘s story is important, but the writing itself is not to my taste. There’s nothing wrong with the writing, and in fact, it is beloved by many and has been for decades. But it was this aspect that made the book a little bit more difficult for me to read then I’d like.

The content, when taken piecemeal, remains as powerful today as it did when the book was originally published. Through her eyes, we see her coming of age. We see what it was like to grow up as a Black woman not just in the South, but in the West and in the North. We see different levels of racism coming at her from different kinds of people. We witness the many different ways people around her react to the racism that they face every day, and what they do to feel alive despite the denial of their humanity. I find myself remembering individual vignettes much more clearly than the book as a whole. The particular stories that strapped to me were her toothache, and her brief period as a homeless runaway.

Then, beyond racism, we have the very heavy topic of rape and sexual assault. I must admit I’m not as well-read in books from the 1960s and 1970s as many others, but I do believe this is one of the first times that rape was called out so blatantly in a piece of popular literature. Even into the 2010s we fought to raise voices rape victims, so the fact that Angelou had the strength to share her story in a time where not only her race, but her gender would call her story into doubt is incredible.

An overall powerful memoir, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings is certainly a book that should be taught in schools and read independently. I will be the first person to admit the writing is a little difficult to digest, but the value of the content far outweighs any technical preferences in this case. If you haven’t read at least the first of Angelou’s memoirs, I recommend you look into it.

Content Warnings

caribbeangirlreading's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging emotional reflective sad medium-paced

4.0

Content Warnings

raelin's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad slow-paced

5.0

Heartbreaking and heart warming. Uplifting and depressing. Isn’t that life though? It is all the things, as is this memoir.

This audiobook read by the author was so moving. The raw honestly and painful openness in how she beautifully and tragically describes her early life is amazing.

It really reinforces that the adolescent experience is almost universal. The awkwardness and lack of self confidence while also being incredibly sure footed in some situations was so very relatable even 50 years after it’s original publication.

I really would recommend this to anyone, and especially sullen teenagers who feel misunderstood by everyone around them. This really brings home that everyone has a story, and you may never know another person’s whole story, but that there are some near universal feelings about finding your place in the world and how to fit in.

Content Warnings