This charming novel went from a local favorite to a cult classic to a major motion picture (directed by Robert Redford) largely by word-of-mouth, no small feat for a book about water irrigation. Nichols has an eye for detail that makes his characters real and his themes resonate. For those who haven't seen the movie, the book chronicles the struggle between a stubborn hustler, some eccentric local farmers, and the Anglo water barons (who are in cahoots with government officials) over the watering of a small beanfield in the American southwest.  (USW222, $17.00)