The Awakening of Malcolm X

In this fictionalized biography of Malcom X's young adult life, written by his daughter, narrator Landon Woodson brings deep emotion to a man whose youth was fraught with injustice. Woodson transitions smoothly between Malcom's childhood/teens and his early 20s, evoking both the desperation and hope of a young Black man who could no longer stand for the unjust treatment of his people. Through vivid depictions of his brutal incarceration and the historically accurate use of racial slurs, Woodson expresses the emotions of men who were treated unjustly, bringing their shared humanity to the forefront. An interview with Shabazz and Woodson at the end of the audiobook provides added perspective to both story and narration. H.C. � AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine

Starred review from March 22, 2021
This fictionalized account, penned by Malcolm X’s daughter Shabazz (Betty Before X) with Coretta Scott King–John Steptoe Award winner Jackson (Grown), recounts how Malcolm Little, the 20-year-old young man who would become civil rights icon Malcolm X, was convicted of a series of property crimes in 1946, after being framed by a white woman he was dating. Incarcerated first in Charlestown State Prison and then Norfolk Prison Colony, Malcolm experiences firsthand the treatment endured by Black men facing incarceration: dehumanization, violence, and brutal isolation. Enraged at the injustice of his circumstances and nurtured by family and fellow inmates, Malcolm is encouraged to liberate himself through knowledge and then conversion to Islam. Through these studies, Malcolm eventually comprehends the backbreaking plight of Black people in America and takes a stand against it. Unresolved subplots and a considerable time jump that glosses over a period of considerable change for Malcolm X undercut this otherwise thought-provoking narrative account. Still, 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. Ages 12–up.