Joe Mondragon, a feisty hustler with a talent for trouble, slammed his battered pickup to a stop, tugged on his gumboots, and marched into the arid patch of ground. Carefully (and also illegally), he tapped into the main irrigation channel. And so began-though few knew it at the time-the Milagro beanfield war. But like everything else in the dirt-poor town of Milagro, it would be a patchwork war, fought more by tactical retreats than by battlefield victories. Gradually, the small farmers and sheepmen begin to rally to Joe's beanfield as the symbol of their lost rights and their lost lands. And downstate in the capital, the Anglo water barons and power brokers huddle in urgent conference, intent on destroying that symbol before it destroys their multimillion-dollar land-development schemes. The tale of Milagro's rising is wildly comic and lovingly ter, a vivid portrayal of a town that, half-stumbling and partly prodded, gropes its way toward its own stubborn salvation.
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"Gentle, funny, transcent." --The New York Times Book Review
From the Inside Flap
Joe Mondragon, thirty-six, is a feisty hustler with a talent for trouble, who slammed his battered pickup to a stop one day, tugged on his gumboots, and marched into an arid patch of ground. Then, illegally, he tapped into the main irrigation channel. And so began John Nichols' classic tale of the little guy against the big guy -- THE MILAGRO BEANFIELD WAR.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
36 of 37 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This is a truly enjoyable book, a fun read full of interesting, quirky characters, revealed in a mini class-war. The peace-loving agrarians of Milagro find themselves oppressed by the city slickers & suits who draw up water-compacts & grazing regulations. Slowly, but certainly, they're being squeezed off their ancestral lands, having their buccolic lifestyle eroded by the landed, the government, and the wealthy.
But this is not a grim, revolutionary novel, full of dogma and bloodshed. It's a tale of a bunch of characters, who really just want to be left alone, backed against the wall and making their last stand.
Who couldn't cheer for Cleofas or Joe Mondragon? Who doesn't want to drop El Zopilote into the Rio Grande with cement shoes? The protagonists seduce you into their stories, and their enemies are disgusting precisely because they are so removed, because they are so ordinary, so boring.
Nichols demonstrates to us that authentic people work the land, work their jobs, lead their lives, and that their lives are worthy of storytelling. In our dominator culture, the wealthy are the powerful. Their lives, while pampered & protected, are dull, uninteresting. We only care about them when our heroes stop bending over for them and say "enough is enough." Look deeply within yourself & see just how much of Joe Mondragon you carry. Now, log off the internet & see if you can live a life worthy of Milagro.
Five stars for characterization. Five stars of making a tired plot (underdogs vs. oppressors) so much fun. Five stars for a gentle, funny read that worms its way into your heart.
(If you'd like to comment on this review, click on the "about me" link above & email me. Thanks!)
18 of 18 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I had been living in Northern NM for about a year when I read The Milagro Beanfield War. I took it with me on a backpacking trip through the Pecos Wilderness. I had been completely bewildered by the wide variety of cultures surrounding me in my all-too-brief sojourn in the Santa Fe area.
The Milagro Beanfield War, with its warm wit and characterisations, made all the little puzzle pieces I had been fumbling with come together--from the Taos real estate broker who told me at a party in White Rock that he didn't like to sell land to "those people" because "they just pull in a trailer and start raising chickens and pigs right there in their front yard--ruins the neighborhood" (he could have been a character in the book) to the reverence of my neighbors for the centuries-old practice of community care of the acequia.
The magical internal lives of the local characters and the convoluted way in which the story is told are really part of the rich texture of the place -- nothing is ever straightforward or simple. That's the beauty of it.
Read the book. The movie captures very beautifully what a movie can -- but there's so much more in the book! In particular, the female characters are even stronger, better and more interesting.
16 of 16 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
If, like me, you need an occasional break from the cynicism and irony that prevails in modern fiction, you're probably just looking for a good, warm-hearted, read. This is it. It offers up a story of people who are at odds with each other, but learn to compromise. The characters are quirky, but the writing is not overly cute, as is the case with authors such as Tom Robbins, to whom Nichols is sometimes compared. This is essentially a "good time" read. Those looking for deep human insights or psychological delving should look elsewhere. This one's an unadulterated joy-ride.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Best description of Northern New Mexico life!
Having been born and raised in Albuquerque and spending much of my summertime youth in the communities of Northern New Mexico, this book is priceless. Read more
Published 1 month ago by M. Nelson
5.0 out of 5 stars
Milagro Beanfield War
New book, arrived promptly. Excellent tale of magic & mystery in the modern Southwest. Well written tale of humor & depth.
Published 2 months ago by Daniel D. Gustafson
5.0 out of 5 stars
the Milagro Beanfield War
This story is eyeopening concerning water rights that are still a problem in our Western states. There is humor and seriousness intertwined for a great story.
Published 4 months ago by Rosebud
2.0 out of 5 stars
too l970s
Although my spouse liked the book and found it funny, I thought it was tedious, not funny. If I'd read it in the l970s Imight have enjoyed it more but a lot of its themes... Read more
Published 4 months ago by Don C.
3.0 out of 5 stars
Good story
I enjoyed this book, but I have to say it seemed long. The characters were interesting, but there seemed to be too many to get to attached or become personally involved with. Read more
Published 7 months ago by Blacktoastintolerate
5.0 out of 5 stars
Trust Your Instincts!
The Milagro Beanfield War is a funny, heartbreaking, entertaining story about how one man inspired his community to rise against those who has stolen, oppressed and abused them -... Read more
Published 8 months ago by Randy Ehrler
5.0 out of 5 stars
Que Milagro!
The Milagro Beanfield War is a 1974 novel by author John Nichols. It was without a doubt the most successful and popular novel he ever wrote, and yet he and his work are largely... Read more
Published 13 months ago by Josh Gaines
4.0 out of 5 stars
Muy bueno
Enjoyed the movie. Wanted to read the book. Good price and fast delivery. Not available on kindle. Two thumbs up on seller.
Published 17 months ago by Mary Rubio
5.0 out of 5 stars
Close to home...the underdog battles righteously!
Having lived in New Mexico now for seven years, I felt like I was reading a "history of New Mexico." Great tale of a man vs. The Man. Read more
Published 19 months ago by Gregory L. Heitmann
1.0 out of 5 stars
Over the Top Violence
I can handle a normal amount of violence. I'm not a prude; I participate in life fully. BUT... there's too much sexual violence and violence against animals in this book. Read more
Published 22 months ago by Bill Taylor
Citations (learn more)
This book cites 29
books:
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100
books
cite this book:
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- American Blood by John Nichols in Front Matter, and page 447
- The Wizard of Loneliness by John Nichols in Front Matter, and page 449
- James Joyce (Feminist Readings) by Bonnie Kime Scott on page 88, and page 90
- A Ghost in the Music (Norton Paperback Fiction) by John Nichols in Front Matter, and page 447
- Elegy for September by John Nichols in Front Matter, and page 447
See all 29 books this book cites
- Land of Enchantment, Land of Conflict: New Mexico in English-Language Fiction (Tarleton State University Southwestern Studies in the Humanities) by Dr. David L. Caffey on 8 pages
- An American Child Supreme: The Education of a Liberation Ecologist by John Nichols on 7 pages
- Great Books for High School Kids: A Teacher's Guide to Books That Can Change Teens' Lives by Rick Ayers on 4 pages
- Insight Guides New Mexico (Insight Guide New Mexico) by Brian Bell on 4 pages
- Step-By-Step Programming With Base SAS Software by SAS Institute on page 300, page 301, and page 302
See all 100 books citing this book
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