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The Miracle Mile
Parker is caught in a routine job with devious and scheming bosses, in a tiny and noisy apartment in the gay neighborhood in City Centre where he and his friends live. The decision he faces in moving to the suburbs threatens the long-term relationship with his partner Francis, who wants him to stay put. The inconvenience of commuting to the City for work or socializing is quickly overshadowed by the homophobic next-door neighbor Parker encounters, and the bureaucratic reality of his new life in the suburban Province, with its often daunting municipal and cultural center known as The Miracle Mile.
Set in an unnamed and ostensibly liberal democracy, and narrated with a distinctive if somewhat unconventional writing style, Mr. Goldstein once again draws us into a slightly surreal world, with some quirky but very likable characters. Will Parker ever realize his dream for a peaceful life amid the confusion that seems to constantly surround him?
Set in an unnamed and ostensibly liberal democracy, and narrated with a distinctive if somewhat unconventional writing style, Mr. Goldstein once again draws us into a slightly surreal world, with some quirky but very likable characters. Will Parker ever realize his dream for a peaceful life amid the confusion that seems to constantly surround him?
- GenresM M RomanceAmazon
231 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2014
2 people are currently reading
61 people want to read
About the author
Mark A. Goldstein
3 books6 followersMark Goldstein was born in Detroit, Michigan and has lived in the Mid-Atlantic region since 1979. He had a successful career in the insurance industry spanning 34 years. He is currently working on his fourth novel and spends much of his time with his partner in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
February 4, 2014
My first reaction to Mark A. Goldstein’s novel, “The Miracle Mile”, was his writing style was unorthodox. Dialogue is void of quotation marks and tags, and pagination is somewhat arbitrary. Still, I plowed ahead, finding I was able to eventually adapt to his approach.
The story is one of Parker, a gay man, stuck in what appears to be a dreadful, un-automated office job in the Office of Accounting and Receivables. His job as a “processor” has considerable oversight, with a timekeeper and supervisor, sitting on a raised platform, constantly monitoring his work and the work of those in the department.
Much time is spent by the author in the early pages describing the nature of Parker’s job, his stressful office relationships, and his hope for a promotion that never materializes. The other plot that develops early is one surrounding Parker’s decision to leave his cramped apartment in City Centre, a multicultural, European community where his gay lifestyle is the norm, and move to the lower-cost suburban Province in search of a larger home with a yard. The process to acquire the home is frustrating and filled with paperwork, but he eventually encounters a homophobic neighbor and the social lifestyle in his new neighborhood that is not welcomed by his long-term partner, Francis.
The Miracle Mile is the so-called cultural/commercial center in suburban Province. There isn’t much about it that suits Parker or his partner other than his larger home, yet they stay in the suburbs with Parker commuting to his dreadful job in City Centre.
I had anticipated the primary purpose of Mr. Goldstein’s book would be to bring to light the plight of gay couples seeking to find happiness in an unfair, straight world, but after reading it, I don’t think that was his purpose. I found it to be more about the struggles of Parker and his friends, gay or straight, in an overly-bureaucratic and unbending world.
I believe Mr. Goldstein’s strengths are his story telling and his ability to create characters for the reader to like, or in some cases, dislike. I found myself wanting Parker to succeed. The relationships that Parker established with his friend, Carleton, and eventually with the Timekeeper and others were believable. I especially found Parker’s recanting of the lessons taught to him by the Timekeeper, guiding him through his troubled times, as well-crafted and well-placed in the storyline.
On the critical side, I found the description of Parker’s antiquated accounting job as out of place, almost turn of the 20th century, and not fitting in a world with GPS cell phones and fancy nightclubs. I also didn’t find that the book built to a crescendo at any point. The threat created by Parker’s crazed neighbor and the plight of his neighbor’s gay son were probably the most dramatic points in the book, but for me they fell flat, never creating sufficient suspense or danger.
I may not be the primary audience for “The Miracle Mile.” I tend to read CIA, police, or military action/adventure novels (Grisham, Connelly¸ Flynn), yet I found this book sufficiently entertaining to read in a few days. I encourage others to check it out. You will find Mr. Goldstein’s writing style unique.
I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for a fair and unbiased review, and that’s what I hope I’ve provided. If I could give ½ stars, it would be 3 ½ for me. I liked it, which is a 3 on goodreads and a 4 on Amazon.
The story is one of Parker, a gay man, stuck in what appears to be a dreadful, un-automated office job in the Office of Accounting and Receivables. His job as a “processor” has considerable oversight, with a timekeeper and supervisor, sitting on a raised platform, constantly monitoring his work and the work of those in the department.
Much time is spent by the author in the early pages describing the nature of Parker’s job, his stressful office relationships, and his hope for a promotion that never materializes. The other plot that develops early is one surrounding Parker’s decision to leave his cramped apartment in City Centre, a multicultural, European community where his gay lifestyle is the norm, and move to the lower-cost suburban Province in search of a larger home with a yard. The process to acquire the home is frustrating and filled with paperwork, but he eventually encounters a homophobic neighbor and the social lifestyle in his new neighborhood that is not welcomed by his long-term partner, Francis.
The Miracle Mile is the so-called cultural/commercial center in suburban Province. There isn’t much about it that suits Parker or his partner other than his larger home, yet they stay in the suburbs with Parker commuting to his dreadful job in City Centre.
I had anticipated the primary purpose of Mr. Goldstein’s book would be to bring to light the plight of gay couples seeking to find happiness in an unfair, straight world, but after reading it, I don’t think that was his purpose. I found it to be more about the struggles of Parker and his friends, gay or straight, in an overly-bureaucratic and unbending world.
I believe Mr. Goldstein’s strengths are his story telling and his ability to create characters for the reader to like, or in some cases, dislike. I found myself wanting Parker to succeed. The relationships that Parker established with his friend, Carleton, and eventually with the Timekeeper and others were believable. I especially found Parker’s recanting of the lessons taught to him by the Timekeeper, guiding him through his troubled times, as well-crafted and well-placed in the storyline.
On the critical side, I found the description of Parker’s antiquated accounting job as out of place, almost turn of the 20th century, and not fitting in a world with GPS cell phones and fancy nightclubs. I also didn’t find that the book built to a crescendo at any point. The threat created by Parker’s crazed neighbor and the plight of his neighbor’s gay son were probably the most dramatic points in the book, but for me they fell flat, never creating sufficient suspense or danger.
I may not be the primary audience for “The Miracle Mile.” I tend to read CIA, police, or military action/adventure novels (Grisham, Connelly¸ Flynn), yet I found this book sufficiently entertaining to read in a few days. I encourage others to check it out. You will find Mr. Goldstein’s writing style unique.
I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for a fair and unbiased review, and that’s what I hope I’ve provided. If I could give ½ stars, it would be 3 ½ for me. I liked it, which is a 3 on goodreads and a 4 on Amazon.
February 2, 2025
It took a while to get used to the writing. The beginning and past halfway was a bit unnerving with the persistence of describing Parker's job and his superior's attitude. I wanted to quit so, so many times but I persisted. The last third of the book went much better, and I got to like the Processor but still, there were no explanations as to how he knew so much and knew things ahead of time, which was frustrating. I'm glad to have finished reading but it's not a book I'd pick up again for a second read.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews