The Gangster of Love

A coming-of-age joyride spanning ‘70s San Francisco to ‘80s Manhattan

A Penguin Classic

Jessica Hagedorn’s The Gangster of Love is a melodic, psychedelic, audacious coming-of-age tale of immigrant family expectations, high-flying poet rocker dreams, and the dark side of American mythology. Stunned by her parents’ sudden break-up and the increasingly turbulent political climate in the Philippines, Raquel “Rocky” Rivera arrives in San Francisco in the waning days of the counterculture movement alongside her tempestuous mother Milagros and her soulful brother Voltaire. Then a vibrant haven for artists and misfits, San Francisco is where Rocky begins to explore becoming an adventurous poet and performer. When she meets the bold and seductive conceptual artist Keiko Van Heller and the brilliant guitarist Elvis Chang, her sights shift to the gritty glamor of New York City. There, Rocky—now the lyricist and lead singer of “The Gangster of Love”—embraces the edgy downtown music scene of the 1980s. Navigating rampant racism and misogyny, the AIDS epidemic, and the intoxicating freedom of the age, the temptation to liberate herself from her past is strong. But that past runs hot in Rocky's blood, and the future waits for no one. Complex and ferocious, The Gangster of Love is a kaleidoscopic look at the fury, love, and music that swirl around the quest for belonging.

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