To Hell and Back

This gritty and raw autobiography, a cautionary tale about choices, traces the journey of Joe Calendino from his aggressive teen years, his decision to join Hells Angels, his downward spiral to crack houses and street life, and his eventual recovery and transformation to an inspiration to, and support for, troubled youth. The book is simply told, using street language, and shows the possibility of redemption from crime, gang life, and drugs. The graphic content and language requires teacher involvement, but it could be used for critical thinking and issues of social responsibility with mature grade 10-12 students. Social considerations were noted.