Onion John can be considered part of a trilogy that shows how boys grow up in three different areas of American society. Taken as a whole, the three books provide an intimate picture of the relationship between boys and their fathers. Each story shows how families can attempt to understand one another and can learn to respect the attitudes and values of persons who are very different from themselves.

While Onion John focuses on life in a small town, And Now Miguel is the story of Miguel Chavez, a thoughtful twelveyear-old shepherd from Taos, New Mexico. Miguel, who lives in a very religious family, longs to accompany the men when they take the sheep to graze on the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. In his adventures with his family and the flocks, Miguel begins to understand that the values and wisdom of past generations are important to...