Hector Villa, a direct descendant of Pancho Villa, and his family have lived in the town of Belen, New Mexico, on the Rio Grande since they were guided across the inter- national border 20 years ago by coyotes. He has his own business as a computer repairman and con- siders himself a patriotic American and a proud supporter of President George W. Bush. Hector believes in American values and the Republi- can Party, and he can't understand why everyone doesn't, including his best friend, Jesus "Eddie" Juarez. He still thinks of America as the Promised Land, but things begin to go wrong in his life, especially after he is drafted to run as the GOP can- didate for the U.S. House of Repre- sentatives from his district, begin- ning a series of misadventures that perplex and trouble him and his wife, AveMaria. The result is a kind of crisis of faith from which Hector emerges as a sadder but wiser man. The Education of Hector Villa is a novel on a highly contemporary subject, a work that combines satire and comedy with deep sympathy and pathos.