by Robert Rivera My story begins in the emergency room of the Kings County Hospital in Brooklyn, New York, where two men have just been wheeled in. One of them is D.O.A. The other is the protagonist, Joseph Roman. This is the story of Joseph and Maria Roman, a middle-aged couple with two children: seven-year-old Lucy and seventeen-year-old Edwin. Edwin Roman is an aspiring high school student with everything going for him. He is academically gifted and the football hero of his school. His parents are extremely proud of him. He is destined to become the first Roman of his generation to go to college. He has dreamed of becoming a doctor since he was a little boy. But Edwin holds a secret that could ruin his chances of ever leaving the ghettoes of Brooklyn — a secret that could affect the very same trusting relationship he holds dear with his parents. Edwin Roman has fallen victim to the enemy — an enemy in the form of crack cocaine, the very same thing he has always detested and the very same thing that made him so critical of those who used drugs. This is the story of a young man’s fall and rise from a world of pain and darkness only to fall victim to violence. It is an inspirational story of strength and family honor for both young and old. This is the story of a father obsessed with vengeance and a mother holding on to her Christian faith to keep her family together. Love, honor, trust, and family values are the ingredients that make up this great story. Although it is only fiction, this story will hit home to many people, not only those who live in the inner cities but for every parent who worries about the future of their children. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Robert Rivera was born on March 20,1955, in Harlem, New York City. He is the son of Wilfredo Rivera and Hilda Capestany. Robert was raised in Spanish Harlem until he was ten and lived in Brooklyn, New York, until he was thirty-two years old. Robert grew up in some of the worst ghetto neighborhoods in New York City. Robert witnessed his first shooting when he was nine or ten years old. He remembers it as if it were yesterday. It was something a child that age should never have to see. But crime and violence was a way of life for many people with whom he grew up. Two of his cousins are doing life in Attica State Prison. In 1987 Robert settled down in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. He fell in love with Lancaster even before he stepped off the train. He and his wife, Evelyn, and their four children have made their lives in Pennsylvania, far away from the ghetto lives they once lived. Robert is the proud father of four wonderful grown children. He is thankful his children never knew firsthand the poverty and woes he lived growing up in New York City. He is also the proud grandfather of three beautiful children. He is currently working as a site commander/account agent for a security guard agency. He would like to retire and write fulltime. (2007, paperback, 172 pages) Availability: Usually ships in 2-3 business days. |
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