Blue Miles: A Monastic Novel

by Fr. Thomas Esposito O. Cist.

This intriguing fictional memoir of Padre Samuel, a Cistercian monk, weaves together his tumultuous life story with reflections on his life in a monastic community.

Monks have always been a gloriously strange lot, and the monastic vocation attracts people who are quirky, grumpy, often hilarious, and uniquely sensitive to the alluring mystery of God. As the life of Padre Samuel shows, monks strive, through the rigors of community life and the conquering of the “old man” inclined to selfishness, to become saints.This novel unveils portraits of the various characters, both comedic and tragic, of Presentation Abbey as viewed through the eyes of the elderly Padre Samuel. It brings readers into the silence of the cloister and introduces them to a monk who has allowed his suffering to draw him closer to Christ. The novel is a prayerful testimony to the fierce demands and consoling mercies of the monastic life.

288 pages, Paperback

Published February 23, 2026

Reviews

[Bailey L. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a memoir by an elderly monk, his reflections on how his life has gone before and in the monastery and how he feels about it now winding down. It is a peaceful, sweet read. I personally have read little Christian fiction aside from a host of Francine Rivers’ books. Like hers, this book convicts you and instructs you in subtle, beautiful ways on the faith life and even on specific scripture (in total Fr Thomas fashion). And his diction is second to none, again just like it is in real life with him! And while this monk’s life and mine are worlds apart, I still found him plenty relatable.

Here’s one of my favorite quotes from the book to illustrate my point on how it is both encouraging and edifying:

“Prayer, of course, is not a formal and bureaucratic event, but it does require some mental work to clear a space for the Lord to enter. The moral life comes into play when I ponder my preparation: What was I thinking about prior to beginning my prayer? Were my actions and words bearers of grace to those who received them? If I have set my heart on cruise control and allow it to roam down sinful roads, how can I expect to rein it in during prayer? A George Herbert line is always a good one to utter at the threshold of prayer: "Christ purged his temple; so must thou thy heart.”

[Debra · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novel feels more like a memoir and it is, just a fiction one. Padre Samuel tells of his life before and after entering Presentation Abbey, a Cistercian monastery. He is 80 years old as he recalls his life and his history follows along with ours and it is interesting to see through the eyes of monks.

This book was beautifully written and I could not put it down. It pulled me into the life in the monastery and showed that monks have their successes and failures just like the rest of us. I do believe they may just be a tad closer to God though. At times I teared up and it reminded me of how grateful I am to priests in my life who have helped me beyond what they could ever know.

Read this book.

[Ben · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a beautiful novel. One of those you wish would never end. Full of spiritual wisdom, humor, and all the ups and downs of being a broken human in pursuit of God. Readers get an introduction to the life of a monk in a modern monastery through the monastic hours of prayer. The fictional Fr Samuel offers readers a retreat on the beauty of the divine office intermixed with his own memoir of God’s mercy amidst Samuel’s failings and joys. This is one to return to often.

[Matt Lenzen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful novel and whimsical insight into the life of a modern monk. Fr. Thomas helps the reader see how human monks are despite their countercultural lifestyle. While it includes heavy topics, it always feels light and I looked forward to picking it up each night I read it. This book will appeal to the curious, the seekers, and the nostalgic alike.

[Morning Glory · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow. There is a lot of truth here about monastic life, and I think the book is best for people who are in religious life or have a particular interest in it, as the structure is the schedule of a typical monk’s day.
I am an Irish American Catholic and was once Fr. Thomas’ student, and his humor, knowledge, and reverence are super, so I had high hopes for this one. While his personality comes through once in a while, it was a much much darker book than I anticipated. There were a lot of difficult things to take in at once-abuse of multiple kinds over the years for several characters, pornography addiction, alcohol abuse… so while I think it is an accurate depiction of what priests have to deal with, I found it depressing and beyond my emotional capacity. The miscarriage section I found profoundly painful. I appreciate getting inside a priest’s head-they really need our prayers!
I did enjoy the beginning with the description of the chapel and prepping for the day-reminded me of all the daily Masses I attended at Cistercian in Dallas.

[Michael A. Cherup · Rating 4 out of 5]

Going through a monastery day one learns the ups and downs, the struggles and joys of monastic life and the monks. Our monk is touched by those he learned from in his life and able to part his wisdom to those entering the community.

“There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work.” 1corinthians. 12-4-8

The book makes us aware of those who live this life and the gifts they bring and share. We are blessed to know, learn and pray for them.

[Sheila Foley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stunning

An amazing read, so many unexpected twists and turns. The psalms, monastic life and our humanity come to life in his book. I might add better than Seven Story Mountain.

[Joel Lakadosch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading this book, you could feel the peace of the monastery reaching deep into your soul and giving peace. Though following a fictional monk at a monastery in Nebraska, it was written by a real life monk. So you get a very authentic story of what spending your life in a monastery would be like. You find out that the monks don’t always like each other, and there are fights (not physical, more verbal arguments) and rivalries. Whole other monks are great friends. It is a microcosm of the outside world in this respect. Even being Christians who should love each other, they have trouble doing just that.

There is some darkness to the book as the main character struggles with his own demons at times, and other monks do also. However, there is also healing and peace. Some of my favorite parts are of him contemplating his life, reflecting on it and finding spiritual meaning. As I said above, there is a great deal of peace in this book, and I would recommend it to anyone who wants to feel a little peace and joy in their lives. In the end, the book reads like a prayer and brings to the reader the peace and stillness, the wisdom, of the monastery.