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MWSA Review
The Gangs of Santa Fe by A. Michael Hibner tells the story of Nazario Alvarid as he struggled with life in the small town of Santa Fe, New Mexico, in the late 19th century. The gangs fought not with knives and guns but with words and votes, although shootings did occur, often for personal reasons. Zario was an intelligent young man and a hard worker. He made money as a runner for both parties because he was known to be honest and discreet. He completed college and became a successful businessman, but he also had to fight for his life, which eventually put him in the penitentiary for a period of time.
The story is narrated by the main character Zario, and the reader will feel that he is listening to an older person telling the story in his own words. A large part of the book involves a trial which he attends, since he is a runner for both the prosecution and the defense.
In the Acknowledgements section, the author notes that everyone named actually existed; every murder, shooting, and trial happened as chronicled. Then the author made the connections between the various people to create an interesting story.
Review by Nancy Kauffman (April 2025)
Author's Synopsis
Life in Santa Fe in the late nineteenth century for young Nazario Alarid is interesting to say the least. His dad, Canuto, a political force in Santa Fe, introduces Nazario to Billy the Kid in the Santa Fe jail. Nazario decides to walk the strait and narrow, to not be like Billy, but things don’t always go the way one plans…
Format(s) for review: Paper or Kindle
Review Genre: Fiction—Historical Fiction
Number of Pages: 247
Word Count: 63,099