The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates

The Other Wes Moore

• Genre: Nonfiction; biography; social issues
• Originally Published: 2010
• Reading Level/Interest: Lexile 990L; grades 8-12; college/adult
• Structure/Length: Organized into several chapters that alternate between the author’s autobiography and the biography of the other Wes Moore; approximately 250 pages; audiobook length approximately 6 hours, 12 minutes
• Central Concern: The Other Wes Moore explores the true story of two individuals with the same name, born just blocks apart in the same city. One Wes Moore became a Rhodes Scholar, decorated veteran, White House Fellow, and noted business leader. The other Wes Moore ended up serving a life sentence for felony murder. Through their parallel stories, the author examines the complex interplay of individual agency and environmental factors in the paths that young people take.
• Potential Sensitivity Issues: Discussions of crime, poverty, drug use, and violence; exploration of systemic social and economic challenges; incarceration and its impacts

Wes Moore, Author

• Bio: Born 1978; American author, social entrepreneur, television producer, and decorated US Army officer; former CEO of the Robin Hood Foundation; Rhodes Scholar; advocate for youth and social justice; first Black governor of Maryland
• Other Works: The Work: My Search for a Life That Matters (2015); This Way Home (2015); Five Days: The Fiery Reckoning of an American City (2020)