Wes begins Part 1 with a retelling of a visit with the other Wes Moore in the prison. One thing both men have in common is their lack of a father: Moore’s “father wasn’t there because he couldn’t be, [the other Wes’s] father wasn’t there because he chose not to be” (3).

The narration begins with the author as a young child. He is in serious trouble with his mother after being caught hitting his older sister. Moore remembers hearing his father defend him because “it wasn’t his style to yell” (6).

Moore’s first name, Westley, also belonged to his father. His two middle names were a compromise between his parents. His mother chose Omari, meaning “the highest,” while his father picked Watende, meaning “‘revenge will not be sought,’ a concept that aligned with his [father’s] gentle spirit” (6-7). Moore recalls, “Our house was on a busy street that sat right on the border of Maryland and Washington, DC, stuck confusingly between two different municipal jurisdictions, a fact that would become very significant in the near future” (7).

Moore provides important details regarding his mother’s and father’s history. His maternal grandfather dreamed of earning a theology degree from an American university.