In a harrowing journey from drugged-out gang member to one of the most revered figures in Chicano literature, Luis J. Rodríguez continues the remarkable story of his bestselling memoir. Readers came to know Rodríguez through his fearless classic, Always Running, which chronicled his life as a young Chicano gang member surviving the dangerous streets of East Los Angeles. This long-awaited follow-up is the equally harrowing story of starting over, at age eighteen, after leaving gang life-- the only life he really knew. It opens with Rodríguez's struggle to kick heroin, renounce his former life, and search for meaningful work. He describes his challenges as a father and his difficulty leaving his rages and addictions completely behind. Even as he begins to discover success as a writer and an activist, Rodríguez finds that his past-- the crimes, the drugs, the things he'd seen and done-- has a way of calling him back.--Publisher description.
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