I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou (NOTE: CONTAINS SPOILERS)

     The book starts with Marguerite around seven years old, in church wearing a purple taffeta dress.  From then on, we follow Angelou's life up until she is almost graduating high school. We watch her and her brother grow up, from living in Stamps, Alabama with her grandmother ("Momma" she was called), to living with her mother.

     Maya encounters all sorts of problems, for example, she gets raped, and after the rapist's trial, he gets killed. Maya has to deal with the guilt she has. Also, she has some questions about her sexual orientation, so she decides to have intercourse with a boy to prove that she is not a lesbian and ends up getting pregnant.

     Marguerite is a very strong person and it is quite evident that she is a compassionate person. You can tell because of the guilt and shame she feels for herself and the man who raped her after he was found dead.

    I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings was a beautiful story. I cried a lot but I also laughed. While the story is often depressing, there are hopeful bits in it also. I enjoyed it and believe that anyone who wants to understand one of the greatest writers of the 20th century should read this.