Miles Heller is employed as a trash-out worker cleaning out abandoned houses. He also takes photographs of all abandoned items - to document the last traces of scattered lives - vanished families.
Sunset Park
by Paul Auster
Picador
October 2011
Miles has fallen in love with Pilar Sanchez, a 17 year old high school student. This is frowned on by her sisters Maria and Angela. Maria is tolerant of the situation, but Angela wants Miles to take valuable items from the homes and give them to her. When he refuses, she threatens to go to the police and inform them that he is having sex with a minor. She also sends two goons to teach him a lesson that you don't mess with Angela. In desperation Milers leaves Florida and goes to New York City where he lives with three other people (Alice,Bing and Ellen) in an abandoned house in Sunset Park.
Milers has an interesting background. His father is Morris Heller of Heller Publishing. His mother is the famous actress Mary-Lee. His parent are divorced and his father is now married to Willa. Morris and Willa had a son, bur he was killed in a tragedy car accident several years ago. Miles feels responsible for the death of his brother, leaves home and has been on the run for the past seven years.
You must read the book to see if Miles reconciles with his parents. Is he reunited with Pilar? What happens to Bing, Alice and Ellen? This is one of those books that you will find hard to put down. I loved reading Sunset Park.
Paul Auster is an outstanding writer of fiction as well as nonfiction. He has written several screenplays, a number of novels and a book of poetry. You might want to pick up some of his other books.
Highly recommended.
