The Milagro Beanfield War, John Nichols (Holt, Rhinehart, 1974) ****

Another example of the film version of a novel being good enough to encourage viewers to read (or re-read) the book is The Milagro Beanfield War. I had read the book before seeing the film and thoroughly enjoyed the story, which was based on an actual confrontation between long time Hispanic ranchers in northern New Mexico and a vacation-site developer who is threatening their water supply. However, the characters are what really make this a delightful book to read. They are sometimes funny, sometimes serious, sometimes romantic, sometimes sad--and sometimes they dredge deeply from their human spirit and perform miracles. When I heard that Robert Redford was trying to create a close version of the book at his SunDance Studio by doing much of the filming in a small New Mexico town not far from where the event which inspired the story occurred, I was one of the first in line to see the film when it premiered at a local theater. The film was outstanding, but as often happens with non-Hollywood films, it never made the rounds of our local theaters. The Milagro Beanfield War, published in 1974, was the first novel of John Nichol's 'New Mexico trilogy', the second and third novels being The Magic Journey and The Nirvana Blues. Although the latter two novels had their moments, I didn't enjoy either of them nearly as much as 'Milagro'. If you missed the film, read the book. It might just inspire you to search for the video. Both will leave your own spirit a little bit lighter and happier.