Discovering Wes Moore

Why do you think Wes Moore continues to think about the other Wes Moore when he goes to Oxford on his Rhodes scholarship?

Discuss the period in which Wes Moore grows up. How is it similar and different to the period in which his parents grew up? In what ways have issues such as poverty and race evolved in America? In what ways are they the same?

What is the role of fathers and fatherhood in the book? How does family life affect each Wes Moore growing up?

Consider the quotation, “Adulthood can pounce on you all of a sudden, especially if you’re growing up in some of the roughest cities in America” (Chapter 11, Page 144). What does Moore mean here in the context of visiting South Africa? Do you think American youth would benefit from a coming-of-age celebration?

What changes in writer Wes Moore after he jumps out of the plane, officially becoming a paratrooper? How has the symbol of his backup parachute changed his perspective on life?

The basketball court in the Bronx is filled with a diverse group of people dressed differently depending on their age, job, culture, and economic status. How does basketball bring all these different people together? Why do you think Wes’s game between the students he went to school with and the kids in his neighborhood went so badly?

The woods at Valley Forge Military Academy show up twice in the book. How does each experience symbolize growth in writer Wes Moore?

After four weeks in the bush, how do you think Wes Moore would have felt if it were him instead of Zinzi? How would the other Wes Moore feel?