Maya Angelou’s debut memoir is a modern American classic, beloved worldwide. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings recounts a youth filled with curiosity, wonder, disappointment, frustration, tragedy, and hard-won independence. Abandoned by their parents, Maya and her older brother Bailey are sent to live with their grandmother and uncle in a small Southern town in Arkansas, where they must endure the prejudice of their white neighbours. When their father unexpectedly returns to take them away, the children are then left with their mother in St Louis, Missouri. At eight years old, Maya is abused by her mother's boyfriend, an experience that haunts her for a lifetime. She remains reclusive until she meets Mrs Bertha Flowers, who encourages her love of books and helps her to regain her own strong spirit. This brand new BBC Radio 4 dramatisation of Maya Angelou's American classic will play out her extraordinary story with dramatic verve and poetic brilliance. Duration: 3 hours 45 mins approx. | I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou, Audio Book (CD) | Indigo Chapters