A niece of Texas Senator John Tower, Mimi’s journey takes her from tragedy and privilege to the dangerous heart of the Mexican drug trade.
After losing her mother at a young age and surviving a horrific lake accident, Mimi pursued her studies in California before settling in Dallas with her first husband. She earned degrees in art history and ceramics from Southern Methodist University and later made her mark in Houston, organizing a groundbreaking sculpture exhibition that drew national acclaim in the 1970s.
A 1976 trip to Big Bend with future governor Ann Richards deepened her love for Far West Texas and led her to purchase a ranch in Mexico near Lajitas, Texas. There, Mimi’s path took a darker turn. Her romances with drug dealers, including the notorious Pablo Acosta Villareal, pulled her into a dangerous world of smuggling and violence. When Acosta was killed in a dramatic shoot-out, Mimi’s own life was at risk. Reinventing herself once again, she fled to California, where she worked as a casting agent before eventually returning to her beloved Terlingua, where she now runs a coffee shop and hotel.
A gripping story of reinvention, survival, and resilience, Mimi blends Texas history, border intrigue, and the complexities of a fearless woman’s life. It is both a cautionary tale and a celebration of strength in the face of peril.