Recommended Reads (February) – The Other Wes Moore
Adopt A Class is thrilled to share our February Recommended Read.
This month, Director of Operations, Katie Andress, read The Other Wes Moore by Wes Moore. Below is her review:
The Other Wes Moore first came across my radar by my mother when she read it a few years ago and suggested that I read it, as we often share a similar taste in books. I mentally added it to my reading list but never ended up cracking it open. She reminded me of it recently, as she thought it would relate to the work I was now doing with Adopt A Class and as timing would have it, I was in search of my next read.
“The Other Wes Moore is a 2010 nonfiction book, which follows two men of the same name who grew up under similar circumstances in Baltimore but ended up having very different fates. One has gone on to be a military veteran, Rhodes scholar, and currently the Governor of Maryland. The other is serving a life sentence in prison. Written in alternating narratives, the story (written by Governor Wes Moore) takes the reader through their similar upbringings, circumstances, and ultimately the decisions that may or may not have shaped their very different futures. I would often stop reading and wonder if one can pinpoint specific decisions in life that could have dramatically altered one’s path or if it is truly a culmination of every tiny decision we make each and every day. Similarly, could each Wes Moore, identify where their path or forks in the road may have gone right or wrong. I found the story captivating and couldn’t help but think of the students we serve through Adopt A Class and really all youth, wondering what their futures hold for each of them.
For me this book was a reminder that each of us has had to make decisions in life, some that may have come easier than others and some that we may have wished we chose differently. It was beautifully written and left me with many thought-provoking moments centered around access to support systems and resources, overcoming adversity, and accountability.”
To purchase The Other Wes Moore, click the link below:
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