It Calls You Back : An Odyssey Through Love, Addiction, Revolutions, and Healing

Luis Rodriguez, author of the award-winning and bestselling classic memoir Always Running , chronicles his harrowing journey from a drugged-out gang member to one of the most revered figures in Chicano literature. Hundreds of thousands of readers came to know Luis J. Rodriguez through his fearless classic, Always Running , which chronicled his early life as a young Chicano gang member surviving the dangerous streets of East Los Angeles. The long-awaited follow-up, It Calls You Back is the equally harrowing story of Rodriguez starting over, at age eighteen, after leaving gang life—the only life he really knew. The book opens with Rodriguez's final stint in jail as a teenager and follows his struggle to kick heroin, renounce his former life, and search for meaningful work. He describes with heartbreaking honesty his challenges as a father, and his difficulty leaving his rages and addictions completely behind. Even as he breaks with "la vida loca" and begins to discover success as a writer and an activist, Rodriguez finds that his past—the crimes, the drugs, the things he'd seen and done—has a way of calling him back. When his oldest son is sent to prison for attempted murder, Rodriguez is forced to confront his shortcomings as a father, and to acknowledge how and why his own history is repeating itself, right before his eyes. Deeply insightful and beautifully written, It Calls You Back is an odyssey through love, addiction, revolutions, and healing. IN A HARROWING JOURNEY FROM DRUGGED-OUT GANG MEMBER TO ONE OF THE MOST REVERED FIGURES IN CHICANO LITERATURE AND AMERICAN LETTERS, LUIS J. RODRGUEZ CONTINUES THE REMARKABLE STORY OF HIS BESTSELLING MEMOIR, ALWAYS RUNNING . Hundreds of thousands of readers came to know Luis J. Rodrguez through his fearless classic, Always Running, which chronicled his early life as a young Chicano gang member surviving the dangerous streets of East Los Angeles. The longawaited follow-up, It Calls You Back, is the equally harrowing story of Rodrguez starting over, at age eighteen, after leaving gang lifethe only life he really knew. It Calls You Back opens with Rodrguezs final stint in jail as a teenager and follows his struggle to kick heroin, renounce his former life, and search for meaningful work. He describes with heartbreaking honesty his challenges as a father and his difficulty leaving his rages and addictions completely behind. Even as he breaks with la vida loca and begins to discover success as a writer and an activist, Rodrguez finds that his pastthe crimes, the drugs, the things hed seen and donehas a way of calling him back. When his oldest son is sent to prison for attempted murder, Rodrguez is forced to confront his shortcomings as a father and to acknowledge how and why his own history is repeating itself, right before his eyes. Deeply insightful and beautifully written, It Calls You Back is an odyssey through love, addiction, revolutions, and healing. 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.--from Publisher Description. Luis J. Rodríguez. Shares the author's story of his brushes with the law and addictions to heroin and alcohol, tracing his complicated journey toward a recovery marked by a run for political office and his rise to an internationally respected gang interventionist