Two Badges: The Lives of Mona Ruiz [Hardcover]

Mona Ruiz (Author), Geoff Boucher (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1997

autobiography of gang member turned policewoman

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Never forgetting the words of her father, who said that police are Christ's soldiers on the rough city streets, Mona Ruiz spent her youth with gangs, married an abusive husband, then went from collecting welfare to preserving the welfare of others as a police officer in her hometown of Santa Ana. Ruiz tells her story with the objective eye of a detective who sees both the issues of necessity in joining a gang and the gang system's fatal vision of drugs and war. Informative and inspiring, Ruiz is one who made it out of the gangs, but never abandoned the streets.

Review

"Fascinating--alternately gruesome, tragic and funny," -- The Women's Review of Books

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Arte Publico Press; First Edition edition (September 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1558852026
• ISBN-13: 978-1558852020
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.9 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,828,124 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Being a girl in Santa Ana I could relate to her book., May 20, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Two Badges: The Lives of Mona Ruiz (Hardcover)

As a young adult in Santa Ana,California, I could totally relate to most of the things Mona Ruiz wrote in her book. I loved it because just by reading it she made me feel close to her and made me realize even more that there is a way out of that lifestyle,I'm almost there. I was never in a gang like her but I associate with that way of living. I hope she writes more books because I would buy them. I like that she writes about the way the gang life is, it's all true, but there is also more that is behind the lifestyle. Hopefully you will read and enjoy it.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Need more., August 17, 2001

By 

David A. Dean (Santa Ana, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Two Badges: The Lives of Mona Ruiz (Hardcover)

I am an English teacher at Santa Ana Valley High School, in Santa Ana, CA. Ms Ruiz spoke at Valley several years ago. Her presentation was as memorable as her book, "Two Badges." I bought three copies the day of her presentation, I have since bought ten more. My students love the book. Young men and young women, alike. They relate, and it is such a strong story with a postive, true life ending. Unfortunately, or fortunately (depending on your view) these books do not make it back to my room after being checked out. I am down to three copies. In a way I am happy, in that I know the books are in contiuous use, they are getting passed around to friends. Cool. It is just that I can not afford to buy a bunch more books for my kids this fall.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A ROLE MODEL FOR ANY YOUNG GIRL OUT THERE!, May 4, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Two Badges: The Lives of Mona Ruiz (Hardcover)

This book is one of the best books that I have ever read. I recommend anybody to read this book, especially the girls out there that are struggling through life and are involved in the gangs. This is a very touching story and Mona tells it like it is, the way that most teenagers out there may not see it until after they may read this book. This book didn't just open my eyes more to whats out there it made me believe more in myself and know that I can do anything and never to give up Like Mona I grew up in Santa Ana and I've been through a lot. Now that I've read her book made me realize that I can even write my own book and I know that I can do it. Hopefully it can help kids see how hard life is out there in the gangs and think twice about what they may be doing out there right now. I know that a book can't change a human being but hopefully it can help them see life different. The way it really is.