The Miracle Man

On the Bowery after midnight, the Flopper collects money from sightseers by presenting himself as severely disabled. A driver and a policeman each take a share, and he retreats to a room above the Roost, where Helena sees him straighten his body. This opening gives Frank L. Packard's novel a world of practiced deception, street poverty and uneasy dealings between people who know how to exploit an appearance.

The story also turns toward faith and the gathering of money around the figure called the Patriarch. In a later scene, Madison speaks reverently about a shrine and writes a large donation check while privately admitting that the funds are imaginary. Helena watches as his gesture encourages another contribution. With Maine among its settings, the novel brings claims of healing into contact with calculation and trust. Readers interested in how public generosity can be shaped by performance will find that tension expressed through both dialogue and private thoughts.