The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER - From the governor of Maryland, the "compassionate" (People), "startling" (Baltimore Sun), "moving" (Chicago Tribune) true story of two kids with the same name: One went on to be a Rhodes Scholar, decorated combat veteran, White House Fellow, and business leader. The other is serving a life sentence in prison.
The chilling truth is that his story could have been mine. The tragedy is that my story could have been his. In December 2000, the Baltimore Sun ran a small piece about Wes Moore, a local student who had just received a Rhodes Scholarship. The same paper also ran a series of articles about four young men who had allegedly killed a police officer in a spectacularly botched armed robbery. The police were still hunting for two of the suspects who had gone on the lam, a pair of brothers. One was named Wes Moore. Wes just couldn't shake off the unsettling coincidence, or the inkling that the two shared much more than space in the same newspaper. After following the story of the robbery, the manhunt, and the trial to its conclusion, he wrote a letter to the other Wes, now a convicted murderer serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole. His letter tentatively asked the questions that had been haunting him: Who are you? How did this happen? That letter led to a correspondence and relationship that have lasted for several years. Over dozens of letters and prison visits, Wes discovered that the other Wes had had a life not unlike his own: Both had had difficult childhoods, both were fatherless; they'd hung out on similar corners with similar crews, and both had run into trouble with the police. At each stage of their young lives they had come across similar moments of decision, yet their choices would lead them to astonishingly different destinies. Told in alternating dramatic narratives that take readers from heart-wrenching losses to moments of surprising redemption, The Other Wes Moore tells the story of a generation of boys trying to find their way in a hostile world.
The chilling truth is that his story could have been mine. The tragedy is that my story could have been his. In December 2000, the Baltimore Sun ran a small piece about Wes Moore, a local student who had just received a Rhodes Scholarship. The same paper also ran a series of articles about four young men who had allegedly killed a police officer in a spectacularly botched armed robbery. The police were still hunting for two of the suspects who had gone on the lam, a pair of brothers. One was named Wes Moore. Wes just couldn't shake off the unsettling coincidence, or the inkling that the two shared much more than space in the same newspaper. After following the story of the robbery, the manhunt, and the trial to its conclusion, he wrote a letter to the other Wes, now a convicted murderer serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole. His letter tentatively asked the questions that had been haunting him: Who are you? How did this happen? That letter led to a correspondence and relationship that have lasted for several years. Over dozens of letters and prison visits, Wes discovered that the other Wes had had a life not unlike his own: Both had had difficult childhoods, both were fatherless; they'd hung out on similar corners with similar crews, and both had run into trouble with the police. At each stage of their young lives they had come across similar moments of decision, yet their choices would lead them to astonishingly different destinies. Told in alternating dramatic narratives that take readers from heart-wrenching losses to moments of surprising redemption, The Other Wes Moore tells the story of a generation of boys trying to find their way in a hostile world.
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Community Reviews
This book is more like a 3.5. It was a quick read, and it was interesting. I became aware of the book because it is required summer reading for Russell for college. It sounded interesting, and I decided it would read it also. As much as Wes Moore tries to capture the details of two lifes, I felt that it was over-simplified in some ways. The subject matter had the potential of being riveting, but it misses the mark there. That said, for the amount of time you invest in reading this book, it is worth it. I can see why it is required reading and how the students will really benefit from discussing the subject matter of this book.
Two men named Wes Moore, both born in the mid '70s, in Baltimore, both raised without a father, in struggling families, but with very different results.
Wes Moore, the author, is a Rhodes Scholar, has traveled the world, and has had a very successful career in the financial industry. The other Wes Moore is in prison for life, convicted, along with his older brother and others, of murdering a police officer during the robbery of a jewelry store.
Not long after the announcement in the local newspaper of Wes Moore's Rhodes scholarship, there was other big news in the paper involving a different Wes Moore - his conviction for that murder. The author saw that article and wondered about that other Wes Moore. He went on with his life but could never really get the other Wes Moore out of his mind. He HAD to know more about him. Who WAS this person? What were the differences that sent them on such completely different paths in life? He writes to him in prison and somehow forges a relationship with this other Wes Moore, visiting him in prison regularly, trying to find some answers. It's amazing how seemingly small things in our lives, the choices we make, the people we know, we meet, we seek out, who care about us, can make such a huge difference. Or is it just luck, good or bad?
Wes Moore, the author, is a Rhodes Scholar, has traveled the world, and has had a very successful career in the financial industry. The other Wes Moore is in prison for life, convicted, along with his older brother and others, of murdering a police officer during the robbery of a jewelry store.
Not long after the announcement in the local newspaper of Wes Moore's Rhodes scholarship, there was other big news in the paper involving a different Wes Moore - his conviction for that murder. The author saw that article and wondered about that other Wes Moore. He went on with his life but could never really get the other Wes Moore out of his mind. He HAD to know more about him. Who WAS this person? What were the differences that sent them on such completely different paths in life? He writes to him in prison and somehow forges a relationship with this other Wes Moore, visiting him in prison regularly, trying to find some answers. It's amazing how seemingly small things in our lives, the choices we make, the people we know, we meet, we seek out, who care about us, can make such a huge difference. Or is it just luck, good or bad?
The Other Wes Moore" is a poignant and powerful memoir that explores the lives of two men who share the same name but lead vastly different lives. Through the author's own journey and the story of the other Wes Moore, we see how the choices we make and the circumstances we're born into can shape our destinies. The book is a compelling and thought-provoking read that challenges readers to examine their own lives and the impact they can have on others. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in personal growth, social justice, and the power of human connection.
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