Includes bibliographical references (pages 283-288).

A Raisin in the Sun -- The free write -- The Fire Next Time -- The Death of Ivan Ilyich -- Crime and Punishment -- The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe -- He wishes for the cloths of Heaven -- Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass -- I have read everything on this paper (the guilty plea) -- To Paula in late spring -- Easter morning.

Michelle Kuo arrived in the rural town of Helena, Arkansas, as a Teach for America volunteer in 2004, bursting with optimism and drive. But she soon encountered the jarring realities of life in one of the poorest counties in America. In this memoir, Michelle shares the story of her complicated but rewarding mentorship of one student, Patrick Browning, and his remarkable literary and political awakening. Fifteen and in the eighth grade, Patrick begins to thrive under Michelle's exacting attention. However, after two years of teaching, Michelle leaves Arkansas to attend law school. When, on graduating, she learns that Patrick has been jailed for murder, Michelle returns to Helena and resumes Patrick's education as he sits in jail awaiting trial. For the next seven months they pore over classic novels, poems, and history, and Patrick is galvanized by the works of Frederick Douglass, James Baldwin, Marilynne Robinson, W.S. Merwin, and many others.