A review by lesserjoke
The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates by Wes Moore

3.0

This is an interesting account of two black boys with the same name who grew up in similar Baltimore neighborhoods, one of whom became a Rhodes scholar and one of whom is now serving a life sentence without parole. Both stories are well-told, but there's not much deeper analysis here as to what these stories can tell us about inner-city life, black masculinity, and so on, nor what factors sent the boys off on such different paths. The shared name is clearly what started the author on the journey that led to this book, but the joint presentation here doesn't feel particularly cohesive or insightful.