Once a King, Always a King

By: Reymundo Sanchez

Narrated by: Rudy Sanda

Length: 9 hrs and 20 mins

Publisher's Summary

This riveting sequel to My Bloody Life traces Reymundo Sanchez's struggle to create a "normal" life outside the Latin Kings, one of the nation's most notorious street gangs, and to move beyond his past.

Sanchez illustrates how the Latin King motto "once a king, always a king" rings true and details the difficulty and danger of leaving that life behind. Filled with heart-pounding scenes of his backslide into drugs, sex, and violence, Once a King, Always a King recounts how Sanchez wound up in prison and provides an engrossing firsthand account of how the Latin Kings are run from inside the prison system.

Harrowing testaments to Sanchez's determination to rebuild his life include his efforts to separate his family from gang life and his struggle to adapt to marriage and the corporate world. Despite temptations, nightmares, regressions into violence, and his own internal demons, Sanchez makes an uneasy peace with his new life.

This raw, powerful, and brutally honest memoir traces the transformation of an accomplished gang-banger into a responsible citizen.

©2003 Reymundo Sanchez (P)2017 Tantor

Better

the narrator was a lot better. The voices were still a little too fake and the spanish was still bad, but there was a lot less characters or spanish than the first book, so it helped. The story was remarkable and I am glad I listened to both books back to back.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Another excellent Reymundo Sanchez memoir.

I was mesmerized by My Bloody Life, the first book by this author. And he did it again. Once a King rings true. My favorite part was the wrap up and ending. This is where the author demonstrated the top talent that he is.

Rudy Sanda, the narrator, was outstanding. This pairing of author and narrator is one of the best I've experienced.

Enjoyed it! :)

**SPOILER ALERT***I had read My Bloody Life back in elementary school and really enjoyed it. I remember even the students that didn't like reading would read this book in Chicago. I recently decided to listen to this book. I was rooting for Ray when he mentioned he wanted to attend UIC. I wondered if the counselor he talk to was from LARES or the counselors you're forced to talk to at UH. I liked the fact that he mentioned he could have a tuition waiver at UIC because he worked there full time at SSB. This has not changed and I know students that have taken average of this. I feel a lot of students that struggled financially don't know of these opportunities. Thanks for sharing your story.

Wow

I wish I could find the words to express what I am taking away after listening to this book. I think a lot of people will discover reliability in one way or another in this book. There is a powerful message here (and one hell of a story), and the narration is on point. This book along with Rey’s last writing are two of the best books I’ve listened to on audible. I’m walking away as if I was there. Damn. In some aspects, many of us have been there. This is useful medicine for the author and the reader/listener. Amazing writing.

0 of 1 people found this review helpful

great book!

reymundo i wish i could meet you and buy you lumch! you are the friend i havent met yet! love your book.. it inspired me to ends! :)

0 of 2 people found this review helpful