The Awakening of Malcolm X: A Novel

(Paperback)

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Description

No one can be at peace until he has his freedom. In Charlestown Prison, Malcolm Little struggles with the weight of his past. Plagued by nightmares, he drifts through days unsure of his future. Slowly he befriends other prisoners and writes to his family. He reads all the books in the prison library, joins the debate team and the Nation of Islam. Malcolm grapples with race, politics, religion, and justice in the 1940s. And as his time in jail ends, he begins to awaken, emerging from prison more than just Malcolm Little: Now, he is Malcolm X. Here is an intimate look at Malcolm X's young adult years. While this book chronologically follows X: A Novel, it can be read as a stand-alone historical novel that invites larger discussions on structural racism, prison reform, and civil rights.

Reviews

A Cosmopolitan Magazine Recommended Winter Read
A School Library Journal Top 10 Audiobook
A NCSS Notable Book
A YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults Title

"Shabazz and Jackson effectively illuminate not only the figure's religious and political awakening, but the injustice historically leveled against the Black community by mass incarceration and systemic racism." --Publishers Weekly, starred review

"Readers will make connections to persistent injustices faced by Black communities--and the beautiful ways which, despite that terror, Black families have found to craft visions of freedom and lives of dignity and love. A must-read reminder that transformation is made possible through community." --Kirkus Reviews, starred review

"Libraries will be incomplete without the inclusion of this captivating historical novel by Malcom X's daughter." --School Library Journal, starred review

"An affecting piece of historical fiction . . . a perfect entre for young adult readers to learn about the formative years of a pivotal leader in the civil rights movement." --Booklist

"Through Malcolm's memories of parental guidance and his participation in wide-ranging prison conversations, readers join him in weighing viewpoints on topics from Marcus Garvey's pan-Africanism to the ill-defined purpose of incarceration in America. A compelling account." --Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

"Shabazz depict his experience in a narrative interspersed with real-life quotes from the activist, fictionalized letters from his family and his then-mentor Elijah Muhammad, and dictionary definitions Malcolm records as he educates himself . . . an intensely intimate look into the mind of young Malcolm." --The Horn Book

Author Bio

Ilyasah Shabazz, the third daughter of Malcolm X and Dr. Betty Shabazz, is an educator, activist, motivational speaker, and author of multiple award-winning publications, including her latest book, Betty Before X. She is also an active advocacy worker and an adjunct professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York City. ilyasahshabazz.com Tiffany D. Jackson is the critically acclaimed author of YA novels, including Allegedly, which was nominated for a NAACP Image Award, and Monday's Not Coming, a Walter Dean Myers Honored Book and winner of the Coretta Scott King-John Steptoe Award. She received her BA in film from Howard University and her MA in media studies from the New School. writeinbk.com