To "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings", Maya Angelou's autobiographical book that was first published in 1969 and has since been continuously reissued and translated, is a book as joyful and painful, as mysterious and unforgettable as childhood itself. Maya Angelou narrates in first person her childhood and teenage years in the Southern United States: childhood years marked by a rape, resulting in a profound psychological trauma that leaves her speechless for several years, adolescence that culminates in a brief love story, leaving her with a son. In a time and environment of intense racial discrimination, faith in life, inherent strength for survival, and love for words that can bring order to things are the weapons of a young girl who will evolve into a great woman.

"I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" is now a classic of American literature, a book that will capture hearts and shape consciences as long as people read it.