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Three-cent
Alternate cover edition for B007CMRXPY
"A fascinating look at a future society where racial mixing is mandatory" - San Jose Mercury News
** Featured in the print edition of the Berryessa Sun
** Featured on ABC's news magazine show, "CityLine"
In a nation where the government mandates the ethnic blending of the populace, a man fathers a son who is unmixed. One-hundred percent white. A whole. Also known as a “three-cent.”
The man tries disposing of the newborn before it can be implanted with a tag, but the newborn survives and the man is imprisoned for the attempt.
Decades later and after a few more stints in prison, the man finds himself friendless and dirt-poor and living in probationary housing with his ten-year old mixed daughter, Cline, and together they struggle to carve out an existence in a single room, battling to grow past its walls, battling each other. The man spends his days in a constant state of work: working on keeping the girl in line, working as a dish-hand in a local restaurant, and working on building some form of relationship with his now-grown son.
Everything changes when a woman from West Africa moves in next door, a woman who “brings a conjuring” along with her. The woman dust-devils into their lives and pulls them into hers, offering Cline a glimpse of a mother’s love and offering the man a job-—an illegal job, one that starts with a needle and an unknown drug. When the man accepts her offer, he becomes embroiled in a criminal undertaking that threatens to consume everything he has, and he must unravel the woman’s true intentions quickly or he may lose another child.
Three-cent is a story of a man in the extreme minority, a man who does the best he can to get by, a man who tries to make amends for his many faults. Unsparing in its delivery, three-cent is a validation of our ability to conquer our worst selves, to defend those we love best, and to reassemble our fragments into a whole.
"A fascinating look at a future society where racial mixing is mandatory" - San Jose Mercury News
** Featured in the print edition of the Berryessa Sun
** Featured on ABC's news magazine show, "CityLine"
In a nation where the government mandates the ethnic blending of the populace, a man fathers a son who is unmixed. One-hundred percent white. A whole. Also known as a “three-cent.”
The man tries disposing of the newborn before it can be implanted with a tag, but the newborn survives and the man is imprisoned for the attempt.
Decades later and after a few more stints in prison, the man finds himself friendless and dirt-poor and living in probationary housing with his ten-year old mixed daughter, Cline, and together they struggle to carve out an existence in a single room, battling to grow past its walls, battling each other. The man spends his days in a constant state of work: working on keeping the girl in line, working as a dish-hand in a local restaurant, and working on building some form of relationship with his now-grown son.
Everything changes when a woman from West Africa moves in next door, a woman who “brings a conjuring” along with her. The woman dust-devils into their lives and pulls them into hers, offering Cline a glimpse of a mother’s love and offering the man a job-—an illegal job, one that starts with a needle and an unknown drug. When the man accepts her offer, he becomes embroiled in a criminal undertaking that threatens to consume everything he has, and he must unravel the woman’s true intentions quickly or he may lose another child.
Three-cent is a story of a man in the extreme minority, a man who does the best he can to get by, a man who tries to make amends for his many faults. Unsparing in its delivery, three-cent is a validation of our ability to conquer our worst selves, to defend those we love best, and to reassemble our fragments into a whole.
Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2011
9 people want to read
About the author
Jonathan R. Miller
11 books94 followers"Though his books are labeled literary thrillers, Miller is most concerned with his characters, who struggle with issues of discrimination, identity, ideological rigidity, and belonging."
- Poets & Writers Magazine
"The protagonist's story feels light-years from the typical hero's journey, consistently focusing on more existential themes—and the result is something unusually unsettling and unforgettable. A strange, inventive tale that evolves into a challenging and rewarding odyssey."
- Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
"A bold, cerebral, and unnervingly intimate exploration of what happens when the need to make the world better collides with the corruptive pull of control. Miller balances cerebral depth with raw emotion, crafting a story that lingers long after the final page."
- BookTrib.
"Miller's skillful economy of language and penchant for playing the cards close to the vest — or chest plate — works to his advantage as the tale picks up momentum/mayhem and puts an intriguing, nonstereotyped lead character through pitfalls and deadly perils of parahumanity. Ghost in the Shell fans will have a blast."
- Kirkus Reviews
"A truly layered piece of fiction"
- ABC's news magazine program, "CityLine"
"High-tech thrillers with complex characters"
- San Jose Mercury News
"A lean, well-oiled narrative"
- Kirkus Reviews
Otherwise Award nominee and Kirkus Best Indie Books of 2025 honoree Jonathan R. Miller is an author of "magical realism" literary fiction novels, as well as sci-fi thrillers featuring diverse, complex characters.
Miller was born in Illinois, lived in New Mexico for most of his childhood, and then became a California transplant after undergraduate school at Stanford University. He was an 8th-grade teacher for 7 years in the Oakland public school system, and has worked as a writer/marketer in the San Francisco Bay Area ever since.
Miller's own multiracial heritage has had a strong influence on his thought processes and writing approach. His novels deftly explore issues of identity while providing storylines that are layered, thought-provoking, and moving.
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