TOW #8-The Other Wes Moore

This non-fiction book tells the story of two people living in the same city, with the same name: one who is in jail for life on the account of attempt to murder, and one who lives an incredibly successful life with a long list of accomplishments. The book was written by the successful Wes Moore and narrates how two people can grow up to be so different even if they are from similar backgrounds. The author attended Johns Hopkins University and later University of Oxford. Throughout the book, Moore appeals to the young readers who have the chance to turn their life around, or those who have turned their life around. The Other Wes Moore appeals to his audience by narrating the outcomes of two people from parallel backgrounds with the use of life lessons and irony.

The central point of this book is extremely ironic; how two people could grow up so close to each other, with the same name, similar family situations, and alike situations without knowing about each other. The author exemplifies the irony by including points in the author’s life when his life was ironic, foreshadowing how ironic the entire situation is as well. At one point, “Years earlier, I had run through these same woods with all of my might, looking for safety, trying to get away from campus. Tonight, I ran through the same woods looking for safety, but in the other direction” (Moore). In addition, the author recalls a time when his mother called him on the phone and said that “Everything is fine, but I have something crazy to tell you. Did you know the cops are looking for another guy from your neighborhood with your name for killing a cop?” (Moore) In addition to the irony, he includes multiple life lessons that appeal to the audience, one being that “it’s not the process you should focus on; it’s the joy you will feel after you go through the process” (Moore). He also says that “When it is time for you to leave this school, leave your job, or even leave this earth, you make sure you have worked hard to make sure it mattered you were ever here” (Moore), which is something that many people can relate to because everyone comes to the realization at some point in their life when the contemplate what they want their purpose on Earth to be. Wes Moore successfully used life lessons and irony to explain the craziness in the people he learned about, and the craziness in the experiences he dealt with along the way.