1969 I KNOW WHY THE CAGED BIRD SINGS First Printing Maya Angelou HCDJ

This is a first edition first printing of "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" by Maya Angelou. It was copyright by Random House in 1969. The dust jacket is in a protective clear sleeve. It has creases to the flaps and wear to the top and bottom of the spine. A name is written on the front end page. The pages are top stained red and show foxing.

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, the first  autobiographical work by American writer Maya Angelou, chronicles her life from age 3 through age 16. It recounts an unsettled and traumatic childhood. She wrote it in response to the abuse that she endured. She used the metaphor of a caged bird to express that even though she had suffered abuse, she would survive by fighting back, just as the caged bird still sings. Despite spending two years on the New York Times paperback bestseller list and being nominated for a National Book Award, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings is one of the most banned and/or challenged books in America for its language and portrayal of the trauma endured by the author. If you are a collector of banned books and celebrate the freedom to read, this novel is one you want on your library shelf.