A unique prison narrative that testifies to the power of books to transform a young man's life At the age of sixteen; R. Dwayne Betts-a good student from a lower- middle-class family-carjacked a man with a friend. He had never held a gun before; but within a matter of minutes he had committed six felonies. In Virginia; carjacking is a "certifiable" offense; meaning that Betts would be treated as an adult under state law. A bright young kid; he served his nine-year sentence as part of the adult population in some of the worst prisons in the state. A Question of Freedom chronicles Betts's years in prison; reflecting back on his crime and looking ahead to how his experiences and the books he discovered while incarcerated would define him. Utterly alone; Betts confronts profound questions about violence; freedom; crime; race; and the justice system. Confined by cinder-block walls and barbed wire; he discovers the power of language through books; poetry; and his own pen. Above all; A Question of Freedom is about a quest for identity-one that guarantees Betts's survival in a hostile environment and that incorporates an understanding of how his own past led to the moment of his crime.
#701343 in Books Jewish Lights 2012-10-01 2012-10-01Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 22.86 x 1.73 x 6.00l; .85 #File Name: 1580234879272 pages
Review
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Startling new information; somewhat incoherently organizedBy Amy R.The connection between Jews and chocolate wasn't one I knew about until my rabbi; inspired partly by this book; gave a summer course about it. It's fascinating to read about how Jewish merchants from the middle ages on; often prevented by law from owning property; engaged in the trading of chocolate. Other clergy; especially Catholic; seemed to have strong opinions about chocolate; either for or against it. I enjoyed the author's descriptions of the odyssey she and her husband enjoyed; researching information and tasting chocolate. However; there are whole sections where she lists facts about historic in a kind of disjointed way. Then she'll go on with more historic events or description of where she traveled and make more statements about historic figures; sometimes new information about the same people. It's kind of disjointed. The information she uncovered is new and startling. This book needs a huge amount of editing to be a pleasure to read.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. YummyBy Cat 1on The Chocolate trail was a deliciously interesting book. As a chocolate lover is was very interesting to read about the history of chocolate. I had to restrain myself from running to a local cafe for hot chocolate as I indulged in the book. Ironically enough I was gifted with a molinollo right after I completed the book it was total coincidence. I had had one years ago and was thinking about it when a colleague returned from a quick visit to her home town in Mexico and brought one back to me. Amazing:).1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Interesting addition to my cookery and food shelf.By englishroseThis book does what it says on the cover; and provides a well written; well researched history of how Europe discovered chocolate; thanks largely to enterprising Jewish merchants. It made my mouth water; and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. It's not essential reading for anyone; but it deserves a place on your shelf if you're interested in the history of food.
