Skip to content

The Milagro Beanfield War
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

The Milagro Beanfield War Paperback - 2000

by John Nichols

Joe Mondragon, 36, is a feisty hustler with a talent for trouble who slams his battered pickup to a stop, tugs on his gumboots, and marches into an arid patch of ground. Then, illegally, he taps into the main irrigation channel--and so begins Nichols's classic tale of the little guy against the big guy.


From the publisher

The Milagro Beanfield War is the first book in John Nichols's New Mexico Trilogy ("Gentle, funny, transcendent." --The New York Times Book Review) 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 tender, a vivid portrayal of a town that, half-stumbling and partly prodded, gropes its way toward its own stubborn salvation.

First line

went after her, following her tracks in the snow. Just as I left the road to enter the chamisal an owl dropped out of the darkening sky, landing on a cedar post not ten yards away.

From the rear cover

Joe Mondragon, thirty-six with not much to show for it, 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, if impulsively (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, ever so awkwardly, the small farmers and sheepmen begin to rally to Joe's beanfield as the symbol of their lost rights and their lost lands. The tale of Milagro's rising is wildly comic and lovingly tender, a vivid portrayal of a town that, half-stumbling and partly prodded, groped its way toward its own stubborn salvation.

Details

  • Title The Milagro Beanfield War
  • Author John Nichols
  • Binding Paperback
  • Edition Reprint
  • Pages 464
  • Volumes 1
  • Language ENG
  • Publisher Holt McDougal, New York
  • Date 2000-02-15
  • Illustrated Yes
  • ISBN 9780805063745 / 0805063749
  • Weight 0.79 lbs (0.36 kg)
  • Dimensions 8.2 x 5.66 x 0.81 in (20.83 x 14.38 x 2.06 cm)
  • Themes
    • Chronological Period: 20th Century
    • Cultural Region: Southwest U.S.
    • Ethnic Orientation: Hispanic
    • Geographic Orientation: New Mexico
  • Library of Congress subjects Western stories, New Mexico
  • Library of Congress Catalog Number 93011937
  • Dewey Decimal Code FIC

About the author

John Nichols's New Mexico Trilogy, inaugurated in 1974 with the publication of The Milagro Beanfield War, has grown from regional stature to national appeal, from literary radicals to cult classics. Beloved for his compassionate, richly comic vision and admired for his insight into the cancer that accompanies unbridled progress, Nichols is the author of a dozen novels and several works of nonfiction. He lives in northern New Mexico.
Back to Top

More Copies for Sale

The Milagro Beanfield War: A Novel
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

The Milagro Beanfield War: A Novel

by John Nichols

  • Used
  • Paperback
Condition
Used - Acceptable
Binding
Paperback
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780805063745 / 0805063749
Quantity Available
1
Seller
Youngtown, Arizona, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
$3.50
$5.25 shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
Owl Books, February 2000. Trade Paperback. Used - Acceptable. Alternate cover. Some shelf wear.
Item Price
$3.50
$5.25 shipping to USA
The Milagro Beanfield War
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

The Milagro Beanfield War

by John Nichols

  • Used
Condition
Used - Good
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780805063745 / 0805063749
Quantity Available
1
Seller
Frederick, Maryland, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 4 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
$4.99
$3.99 shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
Owl Books. Used - Good. Good condition. A copy that has been read but remains intact. May contain markings such as bookplates, stamps, limited notes and highlighting, or a few light stains.
Item Price
$4.99
$3.99 shipping to USA
The Milagro Beanfield War
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

The Milagro Beanfield War

by Nichols, John

  • Used
  • very good
  • Paperback
Condition
Used - Very Good
Binding
Paperback
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780805063745 / 0805063749
Quantity Available
1
Seller
Tolar, Texas, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
$6.00
$4.75 shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
Owl Books, 2000. Wraps have only light wear, spine is unbent. Pages are clean with no markings in text. . Soft Cover. Very Good. 8vo - 7¾" - 9¾" Tall.
Item Price
$6.00
$4.75 shipping to USA
The Milagro Beanfield War

The Milagro Beanfield War

by John Nichols

  • Used
  • Acceptable
  • Paperback
Condition
Used - Acceptable
Binding
Paperback
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780805063745 / 0805063749
Quantity Available
4
Seller
Seattle, Washington, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 4 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
$7.33
FREE shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
Owl Books, 2000. Paperback. Acceptable. Readable copy. Pages may have considerable notes/highlighting. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less.Dust jacket quality is not guaranteed.
Item Price
$7.33
FREE shipping to USA
The Milagro Beanfield War

The Milagro Beanfield War

by John Nichols

  • Used
  • Acceptable
  • Paperback
Condition
Used - Acceptable
Binding
Paperback
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780805063745 / 0805063749
Quantity Available
1
Seller
Seattle, Washington, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 4 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
$7.33
FREE shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
Owl Books, 2000. Paperback. Acceptable. Missing dust jacket; Readable copy. Pages may have considerable notes/highlighting. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less.Dust jacket quality is not guaranteed.
Item Price
$7.33
FREE shipping to USA
The Milagro Beanfield War : A Novel
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

The Milagro Beanfield War : A Novel

by Nichols, John

  • Used
Condition
Used - Good
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780805063745 / 0805063749
Quantity Available
1
Seller
Reno, Nevada, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
$7.40
FREE shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
Holt & Company, Henry. Used - Good. Former library book; may include library markings. Used book that is in clean, average condition without any missing pages.
Item Price
$7.40
FREE shipping to USA
The Milagro Beanfield War : A Novel
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

The Milagro Beanfield War : A Novel

by Nichols, John

  • Used
Condition
Used - Very Good
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780805063745 / 0805063749
Quantity Available
1
Seller
Mishawaka, Indiana, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
$8.78
FREE shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
Holt & Company, Henry. Used - Very Good. Used book that is in excellent condition. May show signs of wear or have minor defects.
Item Price
$8.78
FREE shipping to USA
The Milagro Beanfield War : A Novel
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

The Milagro Beanfield War : A Novel

by Nichols, John

  • Used
Condition
Used - Good
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780805063745 / 0805063749
Quantity Available
1
Seller
Mishawaka, Indiana, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
$8.78
FREE shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
Holt & Company, Henry. Used - Good. Used book that is in clean, average condition without any missing pages.
Item Price
$8.78
FREE shipping to USA
The Milagro Beanfield War
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

The Milagro Beanfield War

by John Nichols

  • Used
  • Paperback
Condition
Used: Good
Binding
Paperback
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780805063745 / 0805063749
Quantity Available
1
Seller
HOUSTON, Texas, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 4 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
$10.35
FREE shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
Holt McDougal, 2000-02-15. paperback. Used: Good.
Item Price
$10.35
FREE shipping to USA
The Milagro Beanfield War
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

The Milagro Beanfield War

by John Nichols

  • Used
  • good
  • Paperback
Condition
Used - Good
Binding
Paperback
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780805063745 / 0805063749
Quantity Available
1
Seller
Olympia, Washington, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
$11.99
FREE shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
Owl Books, 2000-02-14. paperback. Good. 5x1x8. Trade paperback. Light to moderate shelf wear to covers. Binding square and tight. No creasing to spine. No loose pages. No highlighting, notation, or remainder marks. Thank you for supporting Last Word Books and independent bookstores.
Item Price
$11.99
FREE shipping to USA