Twelve-year-old Miguel Chavez, the novel's main character, is introspective, yet impatient. He has grown up in an environment that emphasizes the importance of religion and family, and he values both. As he begins to contemplate Illustration by Jean Chariot for ... And Now Miguel by Joseph Krumgold. Thomas Y. Crowell: New York (1953).

Although hardworking and kind, Miguel's father, Old Blas, does not always have the patience to understand Miguel's feelings. Taking care of her large family keeps Miguel's warm but strict mother busy. Both parents place great importance on responsibility and education.

Young Blas, Miguel's oldest brother, drives the school bus and helps with the sheep, as do Uncle Eli, Uncle Bonifacio, and Grandfather Chavez, who is nearly eighty years old. Nineteen-year-old Gabriel, Miguel's second...