Panther Baby: A Life Of Rebellion And Reinvention (2012) - Plot & Excerpts
I chose this book for my Teen Book Club this month and I think we'll have A LOT to talk about! Consider this: Joseph is Tupac's godfather, and that might be one of the lesser interesting things about his life. His memoir is about trying to be an adult and do the right thing while navigating some very different and strict social codes, like what it means to be a man (which, for Joseph, happens after he's lost his virginity, left his home, been to prison... it's not the moment you would think, and it's pretty moving), how to be a black man doing the best he can for his community, how to survive in prison without resorting to violence, etc. There's so much in here! And you can tell there could be more. I was really interested to learn about his experiences joining the Black Panthers and to learn more about the Black Panthers from this insider's perspective. (The last chapter or two aren't the best, because they kind of just skip through what he's done recently and seem to serve as an opportunity to name-drop to help bolster his credibility/legitimacy. He also doesn't explain what happened with his relationship with his adoptive grandmother after he went to jail a second time.)
What do You think about Panther Baby: A Life Of Rebellion And Reinvention (2012)?
Had to read it for history class in college. My professor made a good choice.
—Sarah
Powerfully written, Review to follow shortly.
—edward
