I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
I seem to be reading too many autobiographies these days. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings is another one, which I didn’t actually realize when I picked it up. First, I associate Maya Angelou with poetry and secondly, it starts out feeling fictional. But as the story went on, the telltale randomness of real life started to assert itself. (That plus it was revealed that the narrator, Marguerite, was also known as Maya.) The trouble with autobiographies is that most people’s lives don’t make that much sense. That’s why I like novels. They’re better plotted.
However, this was a good read. Angelou puts you right into the action, so it’s fictionalized not summarized, and she lived in some interesting places in some interesting times. It’s nice to read about people who manage to learn and suceed despite the obstacles of poverty and racism. Unfortunately, she quits just when she’s gotten to the good part. This is only the story of her childhood.