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The Miracles
Brinda Miracle (not her real name) steals out of Redding, Connecticut in the spring of 1911 in charge of an orphan train. Though an accredited nurse and teacher, Brinda is fleeing trumped-up allegations stemming from the crib death of a baby in her care as a nanny.
An orphan herself, Brinda arrives at an orphaned orphanage in St. Paul, Minnesota with three children still in her Nicholas, twelve, with special needs and special talents—most notably those of a pickpocket; Maxine, eight, with seemingly no need for anyone and no discernible talent; and Zane, six, whose amber eyes instill fear in those who fail to look deeper.
The Miracles (Americana #7) is an historical crime satire set in a gangster haven which welcomed criminals into St. Paul as long as they didn't commit crimes in St. Paul. The novel follows the four orphans as they are welcomed into a neighborhood which features Nina Clifford's fashionable whorehouse on one side and the Bucket of Blood Saloon down the block. Brinda and the children grow into their own niches to survive amid Prohibition Era corruption while dabbling in a little bootlegging of their own through the early years of the Great Depression.
An orphan herself, Brinda arrives at an orphaned orphanage in St. Paul, Minnesota with three children still in her Nicholas, twelve, with special needs and special talents—most notably those of a pickpocket; Maxine, eight, with seemingly no need for anyone and no discernible talent; and Zane, six, whose amber eyes instill fear in those who fail to look deeper.
The Miracles (Americana #7) is an historical crime satire set in a gangster haven which welcomed criminals into St. Paul as long as they didn't commit crimes in St. Paul. The novel follows the four orphans as they are welcomed into a neighborhood which features Nina Clifford's fashionable whorehouse on one side and the Bucket of Blood Saloon down the block. Brinda and the children grow into their own niches to survive amid Prohibition Era corruption while dabbling in a little bootlegging of their own through the early years of the Great Depression.
302 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 22, 2019
About the author
Will Tinkham
14 books12 followersWill Tinkham has published thirteen novels in his Americana series. EVERY TIME SHE SHOUTED FIRE follows THE RELUCTANT NAZI, THE PACKARD SALESMAN, THE TEDDY & BARA SHOW, IF I LIE IN A COMBAT ZONE, FALLING DOWN UMBRELLA MAN, THE MIRACLES, THE CARY GRANT SANATORIUM AND PLAYHOUSE, THE GREAT AMERICAN SCRAPBOOK, THE ADVENTURES OF HANK FENN, BONUS MAN, NO HAPPIER STATE and ALICE AND HER GRAND BELL. He lives and writes in Minneapolis, MN. His short fiction has been published on three continents and he long ago attended Bread Loaf on a scholarship. An actor of little renown, his credits do include the Guthrie Theater and Theatre in the Round. He can be found at: Will Tinkham - fictionist on Facebook, @willtink (Twitter), @willtink (Instagram/Threads) @willtink.bsky.social and willtinkham.blogspot.com.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
January 15, 2026
When you think that it cannot get any better, it does – taking your breath away. That’s what happened to me while reading “The Miracles” by Will Tinkham. It is the fifth book of his Americana series that I’ve read, and, although I loved the other four and will definitely reread them at some point, this one, without a doubt, is my favourite.
Where do I start? I am at a loss, to be honest. This book deserves all the praise there exists for a literary achievement. The author masterfully juxtaposes the grim setting of the Prohibition and Great Depression era with the warmth of relationships between people, rekindling the hope that life, though harsh, can still be beautiful. The Miracles, at first sight an assortment of strangers thrown together merely by circumstances, grow into a quintessence of a family, in the best possible sense of the definition.
As Brinda accompanies a group of orphans on an orphan train (I looked up the orphan trains initiative on the Internet, never heard of it before), she is well aware that the three children in her charge will end up in the protectory in St. Paul, Minnesota, where they are headed. An orphan herself, Brinda didn’t leave the orphanage where she grew up, but instead kept helping there. So, she knows that Nicholas, Zane, and Maxine are not adoptable material. What Brinda has no idea about is a plethora of surprises awaiting them in St. Paul.
Tucked between a bordello and a saloon, the protectory in St. Paul could not be located in a more unsuitable place. Yet, its new inhabitants, together with the ‘old’ crowd of the seedy neighbourhood, prove that not everything that shines is a treasure and not all the things that everyone condemns are evil.
The location of the protectory is not the only unconventional thing in St. Paul. The local police chief keeps the place almost crime-free, having struck a deal with gangsters. He doesn’t put them behind bars, and for that, they don’t do their nasty business in St. Paul. The scheme works fine until the shifts in personnel disrupt it, and a new police chief has other ideas of how to do things. The presidents come and go, brandishing loud promises of a better life like the knights their swords. Taft, Wilson, Harding, Coolidge, Hoover, Roosevelt. For most St. Paulites, with crime running rampant and the scarcity of available jobs, there are more important issues to dwell on than who runs the country at the moment.
The book offers an exceptional presentation of the Prohibition and Great Depression era. Even though there isn’t any sugar coating of how things were done in those times, the author throws in a healthy dose of humour and sentimentality. While gangsters kill both the innocent and the guilty, the crooks of all stripes cheat people of money, but the officials are more interested in lining their pockets, hope and kindness remain on the scene. “All kidding aside, if you’ve never had much, giving is all you got,” says Brinda. People keep helping each other, children keep growing, and miracles keep happening.
I could prattle on and on about how wonderful this book is. I could spill my admiration for how totally unexpected the careers that the children in Brinda’s care had chosen were. But the truth is that you’d better read the book than my prattling. I’ll add only that I laughed and cried while reading, and the Miracles had settled in my heart.
Where do I start? I am at a loss, to be honest. This book deserves all the praise there exists for a literary achievement. The author masterfully juxtaposes the grim setting of the Prohibition and Great Depression era with the warmth of relationships between people, rekindling the hope that life, though harsh, can still be beautiful. The Miracles, at first sight an assortment of strangers thrown together merely by circumstances, grow into a quintessence of a family, in the best possible sense of the definition.
As Brinda accompanies a group of orphans on an orphan train (I looked up the orphan trains initiative on the Internet, never heard of it before), she is well aware that the three children in her charge will end up in the protectory in St. Paul, Minnesota, where they are headed. An orphan herself, Brinda didn’t leave the orphanage where she grew up, but instead kept helping there. So, she knows that Nicholas, Zane, and Maxine are not adoptable material. What Brinda has no idea about is a plethora of surprises awaiting them in St. Paul.
Tucked between a bordello and a saloon, the protectory in St. Paul could not be located in a more unsuitable place. Yet, its new inhabitants, together with the ‘old’ crowd of the seedy neighbourhood, prove that not everything that shines is a treasure and not all the things that everyone condemns are evil.
The location of the protectory is not the only unconventional thing in St. Paul. The local police chief keeps the place almost crime-free, having struck a deal with gangsters. He doesn’t put them behind bars, and for that, they don’t do their nasty business in St. Paul. The scheme works fine until the shifts in personnel disrupt it, and a new police chief has other ideas of how to do things. The presidents come and go, brandishing loud promises of a better life like the knights their swords. Taft, Wilson, Harding, Coolidge, Hoover, Roosevelt. For most St. Paulites, with crime running rampant and the scarcity of available jobs, there are more important issues to dwell on than who runs the country at the moment.
The book offers an exceptional presentation of the Prohibition and Great Depression era. Even though there isn’t any sugar coating of how things were done in those times, the author throws in a healthy dose of humour and sentimentality. While gangsters kill both the innocent and the guilty, the crooks of all stripes cheat people of money, but the officials are more interested in lining their pockets, hope and kindness remain on the scene. “All kidding aside, if you’ve never had much, giving is all you got,” says Brinda. People keep helping each other, children keep growing, and miracles keep happening.
I could prattle on and on about how wonderful this book is. I could spill my admiration for how totally unexpected the careers that the children in Brinda’s care had chosen were. But the truth is that you’d better read the book than my prattling. I’ll add only that I laughed and cried while reading, and the Miracles had settled in my heart.
October 18, 2024
It’s always good to have a book you know you’ll enjoy lined up for a long flight. This instalment of Will Tinkham’s Americana series kept me going on one of the longest flights I’ve ever taken. It felt like slipping my feet into comfortable slippers, and I thoroughly enjoyed the epic tale of Brinda Miracle and her mismatched family. I love the snippets of American history, the way they overcame all the obstacles thrown at them and the guest appearances of characters I recognised from previous books. If you haven’t tried this wonderful series yet, dip your toes in. You won’t regret it.
June 26, 2026
'The Miracles' is described as a crime satire, but it is so much more. It is, in effect, a slice of history brought to life by the insights and experiences of the Miracles and their friends as they manoeuvre through poverty, race riots, the suffragette movement, the Great War, prohibition, gangster wars, police corruption, the Great Depression, and the rise of Adolph Hitler.
Nurse Angela Farmer finds herself on the run when an infant in her care succumbs to crib death, and the well-to-do mother immediately accuses her. Knowing too well that the anger of wealthy parents will outweigh scientific fact, Angela wisely leaves. She takes the name of her deceased friend, Brinda Miracle, and sets out as an assistant on an orphan train. Somehow, she finds herself in charge, and with sole responsibility for three orphans that no one wants to adopt--a master pickpocket and artist with a speech impediment and low social skills, seen by many as mentally challenged; an angry girl whose shrieks deter potential adoptive parents, and a seemingly non-verbal boy with unusual amber eyes. An orphan herself, Brinda accepts and embraces her three, bonds are formed, and lives begin to shine. Brinda seems to accept that her children have worth, and soon they reveal remarkable inner strengths, loyalties, and talents.
Brinda and her family settle in between a brothel and a laundry, with a saloon just down the street. In this non-glamorous setting, we discover that goodness of humanity shines. Surrounded by gangsters and crooked cops, the little citizens of this street are always there when a friend is needed, with moral support, financial support, or any support. My favourite has to be Nina, the brothel's owner, a selfless person and a true friend. And of course, Larry Hodgson, a sometimes mayor, always a man of honest politics.
History is revealed through a personal lens. During the rise of the Suffragette Movement, Brinda manages two businesses and leads a program of social reform--yet does not have the right to vote. There is that true war moment, in which Brinda finishes a loving and supportive letter to her fiancé, and upon entering the house, learns that he is dead. The grim moments of Prohibition are highlighted with gangster movements but most poignantly in Rupert's indulgence in a supposedly fine whiskey which turns out to be bootleg hooch and blinds him. Our characters witness the horror of the lynchings, prisons forced open and the innocent dragged into the street, car lights turned on so the cruel spectacle is completely revealed. And then there are the gentler moments, the commentaries of our characters on the latest current event.
Yes, there are moments when I could have used a tag to remind me who a character was, for there are many. Once or twice I had to reread, just to be sure of a connection. Those are more a reflection on this reader than on the author. The story of our characters winds its way through its historical setting, and we learn so much about both as we follow. As for the ending, I was surprised at first. And then, I saw how true it was--one final, marvelous example of the way these resilient survivors rise above one more time. I do recommend 'The Miracles.'
Nurse Angela Farmer finds herself on the run when an infant in her care succumbs to crib death, and the well-to-do mother immediately accuses her. Knowing too well that the anger of wealthy parents will outweigh scientific fact, Angela wisely leaves. She takes the name of her deceased friend, Brinda Miracle, and sets out as an assistant on an orphan train. Somehow, she finds herself in charge, and with sole responsibility for three orphans that no one wants to adopt--a master pickpocket and artist with a speech impediment and low social skills, seen by many as mentally challenged; an angry girl whose shrieks deter potential adoptive parents, and a seemingly non-verbal boy with unusual amber eyes. An orphan herself, Brinda accepts and embraces her three, bonds are formed, and lives begin to shine. Brinda seems to accept that her children have worth, and soon they reveal remarkable inner strengths, loyalties, and talents.
Brinda and her family settle in between a brothel and a laundry, with a saloon just down the street. In this non-glamorous setting, we discover that goodness of humanity shines. Surrounded by gangsters and crooked cops, the little citizens of this street are always there when a friend is needed, with moral support, financial support, or any support. My favourite has to be Nina, the brothel's owner, a selfless person and a true friend. And of course, Larry Hodgson, a sometimes mayor, always a man of honest politics.
History is revealed through a personal lens. During the rise of the Suffragette Movement, Brinda manages two businesses and leads a program of social reform--yet does not have the right to vote. There is that true war moment, in which Brinda finishes a loving and supportive letter to her fiancé, and upon entering the house, learns that he is dead. The grim moments of Prohibition are highlighted with gangster movements but most poignantly in Rupert's indulgence in a supposedly fine whiskey which turns out to be bootleg hooch and blinds him. Our characters witness the horror of the lynchings, prisons forced open and the innocent dragged into the street, car lights turned on so the cruel spectacle is completely revealed. And then there are the gentler moments, the commentaries of our characters on the latest current event.
Yes, there are moments when I could have used a tag to remind me who a character was, for there are many. Once or twice I had to reread, just to be sure of a connection. Those are more a reflection on this reader than on the author. The story of our characters winds its way through its historical setting, and we learn so much about both as we follow. As for the ending, I was surprised at first. And then, I saw how true it was--one final, marvelous example of the way these resilient survivors rise above one more time. I do recommend 'The Miracles.'
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews