In Charlestown Prison, Malcolm Little struggles with the weight of his past. Plagued by nightmares, Malcolm drifts through days, unsure of his future. Slowly, he befriends other prisoners and writes to his family. He reads all the books in the prison library, joins the debate team and the Nation of Islam. Malcolm grapples with race, politics, religion, and justice in the 1940s. And as his time in jail comes to an end, he begins to awaken—emerging from prison more than just Malcolm Little: now, he is Malcolm X. The Awakening of Malcolm X is a powerful narrative account of the activist Malcolm X's adolescent years in jail, written by his daughter Ilyasah Shabazz along with award-winning author, Tiffany D. Jackson. While this book chronologically follows X: A Novel, it can be read as a stand-alone historical novel that invites larger discussions on black power, prison reform, and civil rights. Whether you're picking up this impactful book as a first impression of Malcolm X or you already know quite a bit about his story, you can start reading an excerpt right now.