Discovering Wes Moore

Wes Moore explains the difficulties of writing Discovering Wes Moore. Moore was forced to accept a lot of painful past experiences during the process of writing what is part autobiography and part biography. What inspires Moore most is how much people will discover they have in common with others if they take the time to learn about other people’s lives. Wes explains how in his youth he felt alone and didn’t understand the consequences of his decisions. Caught between deciding to do what he’s told or what he wants to do, Moore learns decisions have consequences that affect everyone around him.

Moore published The Other Wes Moore and received positive feedback. He also wanted to write a version for young adults grappling with their own fears and decisions, which led to the publication of Discovering Wes Moore: “One step can determine what a person’s tomorrow will look like; I wanted to help make sure that step was the right one” (2). When Wes Moore meets the other Wes Moore, he realizes how their choices and the choices made for them have affected their lives and the lives of those around them.

Having strong role models was important for both of them, though they ultimately needed to make their own decisions. As the writer Wes Moore is a best-selling author, the other Wes Moore is serving a life sentence for felony murder. Moore hopes his readers will be inspired to be better and understand how one choice can lead to a completely different life.