This month we will be discussing: I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou.

This session will be led by Lori Albsmeier (She/Her).

Everyone is welcome! This is a FREE event.

Here is a book as joyous and painful, as mysterious and memorable, as childhood itself. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings captures the longing of lonely children, the brute insult of bigotry, and the wonder of words that can make the world right. Maya Angelou’s debut memoir is a modern American classic beloved worldwide.
 
Sent by their mother to live with their devout, self-sufficient grandmother in a small Southern town, Maya and her brother, Bailey, endure the ache of abandonment and the prejudice of the local “powhitetrash.” At eight years old and back at her mother’s side in St. Louis, Maya is attacked by a man many times her age—and has to live with the consequences for a lifetime. Years later, in San Francisco, Maya learns that love for herself, the kindness of others, her own strong spirit, and the ideas of great authors (“I met and fell in love with William Shakespeare”) will allow her to be free instead of imprisoned.
 
Poetic and powerful, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings will touch hearts and change minds for as long as people read.

Lori lives in Sheboygan with her husband Eric, two sons, and dog. In addition to reading, she likes walking, hiking, traveling, exploring new places, and spending time with family and friends. She is a Big in the Big Brothers Big Sisters school-based program and a member of First Congregational Church (FCC) in Sheboygan. Lori grew up in Kohler, then graduated from North Central College in Naperville, Illinois with a degree in Organizational Communication. She also earned her master’s degree in Organizational Leadership and certificate in Servant Leadership from Gonzaga University, then a Diversity in the Workplace certificate from University of Southern Florida MUMA College of Business. Lori works in human resources for Optum. Lori joined book clubs at WordHaven as a new hobby and to connect with people when her boys started college and her calendar was no longer filled with soccer, track, swimming, and tennis. She’s having fun discovering new books and the conversations with our other readers.