Center for Teaching & Learning

When I think of prison, I think of cells, barbed wire, fenced-in areas surrounded by armed guards. What I don’t think of are luxury suites, shops, and restaurants owned by inmates. I definitely don’t think of a place that prisoners can leave at their own will. Yet that is the shocking setting for Rusty Young’s bestselling memoir, Marching Powder.
Marching Powder, by Thomas McFadden and Rusty Young, is the true story of Thomas, a cocaine smuggler in Bolivia, which is one of South America’s most corrupt cities. Thomas arranges everything so that he can get through the airport without his cocaine being found by guards and dogs. He bribes guards, makes a fake ID, yet something still goes wrong; Thomas is betrayed by the only person he thought he could trust. After going to a lengthy trial, where the judge is bribed, Thomas is sent to San Pedro prison. But San Pedro prison is like no other prison in the world. San Pedro prison is its own society, with shops and stores all run by prisoners. Prisoners must buy their own cells, as if checking in at a hotel. Thomas quickly learns money is key, and he must get some or he will die. He is surprised to find some very wealthy prisoners inside, and he quickly learns how they make all their money. Underneath the bizarre exterior, San Pedro prison is really a cocaine lab. Prisoners bribe guards for the ingredients, and then sell the cocaine to wealthy buyers.
Since Marching Powder is a memoir, it is told as a first-person narrative, i.e, “I did this.” I think that this was an effective way to tell it for two reasons. It made it feel more realistic because it was like I was experiencing everything firsthand. It also made it easier to get to know the characters because I could envision them so easily.
This memoir is a stand-alone book, which was good because, as a memoir, I don’t believe it could have had an effective sequel. It was, however, made into a movie, which is currently in production. It is expected to be released in 2015, although currently there is no fixed release date.
I believe that this book had two themes incorporated into it. One reveals how corruption is everywhere—all around us. I think this theme is shown through the amount of bribery going around the justice system. The other shows how different conditions are all around the world. I feel like the corruption theme was illustrated the best. I think that this was a very important theme for Young and McFadden to include, as it changed the way I looked at the world around me.
Overall, I loved Marching Powder and would recommend it to anyone thirteen and up. I rated it a perfect ten, because it was so real and so raw. The research Young did for this was incredible, as he stayed inside the prison for six months. His dedication clearly paid off, as shown by his writing. Marching Powder is one of my favorite books, and I strongly suggest you read it before you leave middle school.
Nicco
Pan Macmillan Australia, 371 pages