Lady Q's Rise & Fall

Acclaimed author of Once a King, Always a King: The Unmaking of A Latin King, 2003, Reymundo Sanchez, a former Latin King, spins the tale of a gangbanger's struggle through the eyes of a woman. Raw and powerful, Lady Q: The Rise and Fall of a Latin Queen (Chicago Review Press, 2008, $24.95) recounts the life of real-life Latin Queen, Sonia Rodriguez as she ascends the ranks of one of America's most notorious and dangerous street gangs in Chicago. From Rodriguez's journey of being a leader in the gang to being kicked out for "exposing" them on the Oprah Winfrey show, Lady Q, gripping and uncensored, reveals one woman's struggle to find a sense of belonging and power, then ultimately herself. -Shari Myles

photography courtesy of Barnes and Noble