The Master Plan

December 15, 2018
The uplifting story of a convict who beat a life prison sentence through education and dedication.Entrepreneur Wilson was just a teenager when he was sentenced to life imprisonment. Though a passion for books buoyed his early adolescence in 1990s Washington, D.C., they remained dark days suffused with random thefts and the violent deaths of young friends. When his hardworking mother became embroiled in a severely abusive relationship with a corrupt policeman, the situation forced an angry, embittered Wilson to arm himself and plummet deeper into a life of crime. During an altercation, the author fired a series of panicked shots, killing a man; he was later convicted of murder and sentenced to life imprisonment in Maryland at age 17, hopeless and shunned by his family. "I was young; I was black; I had a record seventeen pages long," he writes. Wilson candidly shares the eye-opening details of his time in prison with a prose style that moves with directness and refreshingly unfettered honesty. Wilson seamlessly moves from his most downtrodden moments sealed away in prison to the motivational moments when he connected and shared ideas with a fellow lifer, earned his GED and college degrees, and learned multiple languages. Despite years devoted to his education and self-improvement initiatives, numerous courtroom appeals for leniency were denied until, finally, his chance at a new life was granted with a sentence reduction and parole. All of these events, both promising and discouraging, fueled Wilson's lofty "master plan" and an entrepreneurial spirit that inspired him to cultivate a socially responsible business venture, Barclay Investment Corporation, which matches unemployed Baltimore area residents with clients who have service needs. The author's passionately written memoir, infused with all the frustrations of making mistakes and seeking atonement, will give hope to readers who find themselves involved, to any degree, with the long road from incarceration to freedom.A smoothly written memoir steeped in positive reinforcement and hope for the future.

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March 1, 2019

By 18, Wilson was sentenced to life in prison without parole for shooting and killing a man. This memoir, written with best-selling author Witter reveals he could have given up but didn't, pushing himself to be better, no matter his current condition. That's when what he calls the Master Plan, a checklist to remind him of his dreams and ways to realize them, came into the picture. While behind bars, Wilson started a business, earned a GED and an associate's degree. Wilson wasn't a natural student, but he was determined. To pass a qualifying exam, he took and failed one math problem 67 times, eventually passing on his 68th try. With his sentence commuted to a fixed term, he was eventually released back into society, though he quickly found that society didn't always want him to succeed. He became an entrepreneur and employed others who were formerly incarcerated. In 2016, he was invited to the White House to receive a presidential commendation, but as he was considered a security risk, it took a call from the Oval Office to approve his admittance. VERDICT Wilson's voice comes through loud and clear in this memoir that should have wide appeal.--David Keymer, Cleveland

Copyright 2019 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2019
Wilson's truly inspiring memoir is also a handbook for creating a life of meaning. Wilson's Washington, D.C., youth was filled with chaos, violence, and fear. During an altercation, he panicked and killed a man with the gun he carried for protection. At 17, he was sentenced to life in prison. Instead of letting this be the end of him, Wilson decided to better himself in prison, regardless of his sentence. With the help of mentors (mostly other prisoners), he not only got his GED but learned Italian and Spanish, helped tutor other prisoners, and created his Master Plan; a road map for what he wants to achieve. He ultimately reaches his biggest goals, getting out of prison and starting a business that helps others. With coauthor Witter, Wilson engagingly tells his riveting story while also exposing corrupt justice practices and the ways that society consistently works against former convicts, especially black men. Highly recommended for fans of The Sun Does Shine (2018), by Anthony Ray Hinton, as well as anyone who loves an uplifting life story.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)