
Louis and the Most Beautiful Mother in the World ended in tragedy - rape. But as the awful, unfathomable mystery of prejudice intruded, so did the unexpected joy of a surprise visit by Daddy, the sinful joy of going to Church, the disappointments of a Depression Christmas.Ī visit to St. But then came the intruders - first in the form of taunting poorwhite children who were bested only by the grandmother's dignity. The Store was a microcosm of life: its orderly pattern was a comfort, even among the meanest frustrations. White people were more than strangers - they were from another planet. Their early world revolved around this remarkable woman and the Store she ran for the black community. As little children they were sent to live with their grandmother in Stamps, Arkansas. Named by Modern Library as one of the 100 best non-fiction books of the twentieth century and by Time Magazine as one of the top 100 non-fiction books written in English since 1923.She was born Marguerite, but her brother Bailey nicknamed her Maya ("mine"). Her portrait is a biblical study in life in the midst of death" (James Baldwin).

I have no words for this achievement, but I know that not since the days of my childhood, when the people in books were more real than the people one saw every day, have I found myself so moved. I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings, liberates the reader into life simply because Maya Angelou confronts her own life with such a moving wonder, such a luminous dignity. "This testimony from a black sister marks the beginning of a new era in the minds and hearts of all black men and women. Presentation copy, inscribed by the author on the front free endpaper, "Roger Stephens, Joy! Maya Angelou." Fine in a fine dust jacket.

Octavo, original first issue book, with the top edge stained red. First edition of Angelou's critically acclaimed first book.
