Congress Avenue

In this intriguing story, author Louis Leon takes you into the heart and mind of Ruben Lopez who uses innate street smarts to climb from the depths of Houston's barrio into mainstream America and the world of national politics.After spending nine of his first twenty one years incarcerated, Ruben is able to keep his vow never to return to prison only because of three self- serving women: a beautiful Hispanic lawyer, Marcia Gutierrez, who rejects his lust; an aggressive Anglo columnist, Ann Ross, who over the years reports with a favorable spin Ruben's questionable progress into respectability; an ambitious African-American executive assistant, Althea Lane, who uses Ruben as the company spy while helping him rise through the company hierarchy.Ruben progressively faces the challenges of poverty, violence, racism, gangs, corporate corruption, and grass-roots politics, while contesting arrogant judges, conniving community leaders, corporate embezzlers, and the good-ole-boy Governor of Texas. Does Ruben really change from the juvenile delinquent of his youth? You will be thoroughly entertained as you decide.