HILL HARPER's Letters to an Incarcerated Brother, HOPE & HUMANITY

"Losing My Cool" is T.C. Williams book which credits the safety net of caring parental support for a successful & meaningful life.  Unfortunately, the vast majority of Williams' friends did not have meaningful assistance.  The majority of his peers have become incarcerated or deceased.  In Hill's "Letters..." he takes us on a 5 year journey with a 16 yr. old inmate, Brian, that is both exhausting and miraculously transforming.  Hill's ongoing  correspondence & connection to Brian, imprisoned for drug possession abounds with torment, desire & healing.  Brian, father to a young boy is serving a minimum 5 year sentence for drug possession.  While imprisoned, Brian reaches out to Hill in a letter with hopes of hearing back.  "Letters..." is an affirmation of humanity, tenacity and redemption.  The reader is privy to on-going letters & communications between these two men and the bond of trust & brotherhood that developed.  Also included are letters from others Hill passes on to Brian and inspirational quotes.  However, this is NOT a preachy, cheesy tale of heroics or adversity.   It is an exercise in learning to give respect and earn respect. Reading this book is a humbling experience.  Caring is being there no matter what, with the understanding each individual is accountable for themselves.  Hill & Brian build a kinship that enriches their lives and inspires the humanity in all of us.  "The ability to forgive and the ability to love are the weapons...to live fully, bravely and meaningfully in a less than perfect world." (H. Kushner)