Music of the Mill

"Music of the Mill" is a visionary work. Luis J. Rodriguez has created a novel of social justice, ethnic identity and personal liberation. Moving with electrifying pace, "Music" invites the reader to explore seen and unseen worlds -- steel mills, barrio streets, yearnings of the heart -- and compels engagement through a series of engrossing characters. Thematically rich, the novel ultimately belongs to those who believe that working-class people are capable of transforming themselves, and in so doing, change a nation. It is not surprising that the author has received inspiration from John Steinbeck, Theodore Dreiser and James T. Farrell. Following in the footsteps of these men, Rodriguez uses social realism, industrial conflict and immigration as the backdrops to his exploration of the Salcido family's physical and spiritual journey. From the patriarch Procopio's determination to seek a better life in the United States to his granddaughter Azucena's struggle with her Chicana identity, "Music" unrelentingly analyzes the possibilities and costs of Americanization, the impact of large-scale industries and the human dynamics of families operating under the most severe psychological pressures. Courage abounds in "Music." There is the courage of Porcopio, who uproots himself from Mexico and steadfastly creates a new life for his American-born children as a steelworker in the ironically named Nazareth mill. His son, Johnny, exemplifies the courage of sacrifice and commitment; a self-reformed streetwise tough, Johnny rejects the Social Darwinism imposed by the mill. Instead, he opts for social reform and personal integrity. His quiet, unwavering commitment to equality and dignity in the workplace is iconic. Johnny's daughter, Azucena, demonstrates a different type of courage. Assimilated but rootless, spiritually impoverished and angry, Azucena's life spirals out of control. Yet, in acts of nearly invisible strength, she summons a rekindled ethnic awareness to save her own life. This is not a tidy book. Characters have genuine flaws, and their defects often impede their growth. The miseries of alcohol and drug addiction, poverty and gang warfare often destroy otherwise decent people. It is to Rodriguez' credit that he perceives these indices of social degradation as the outcroppings of a capitalistic society; the Nazareth steel mill is naturalistically indifferent to the sufferings of its workers and the city of Los Angeles takes little action to stop young Mexican-Americans from killing each other. "Music" shows how people, faced with seemingly insurmountable odds, can muster the strength to challenge social evil. If there is any justice gained by people like Johnny and his resourceful, wise wife Aracely, it is imperfect and hard-earned. Three generations ago, the Joad family captured the national imagination in John Steinbeck's "The Grapes of Wrath." Luis J. Rodriguez inspiring, gritty "Music of the Mill" will remind us that n

I worked at Bethlehem Steel's Los Angeles Plant, the setting of Mr. Rodriguez's novel, in the mid-seventies. It was a searing experience that has haunted me for thirty years. No one who didn't work in it can possibly fathom what went on in American heavy industry. Rodriguez's remembered knowledge of the mill operations is remarkable, and his descriptions of the physical conditions and sensations of steelworking shot bolts up my spine. As an editor, I have some bones to pick with the story line, but not with the author's ferocious passion or narrative competency. He means what he says, and he knows what he's talking about. Michael Lecky Harvard, MA

Mr. Rodriguez attempts (with mixed results) to relate the story of three generations of one Mexican American family's life in working class Los Angeles. The center of the story is the steel mill which has provided the family with an income until its closure. Having grown up in Los Angeles, I enjoyed the descriptions of places and events which I can recall. The final section of the novel weakens slightly, but only because it seems to cover as much ground with a shorter amount of words. ***Get Ry Cooder's CD "Chavez Ravine" and play it as a soundtrack! ***