Stroke: A Novel

Set on the Texas Gulf Coast, STROKE is the story of a young woman’s quest to compete in the male-dominated world of professional pool.

Rich in images and accurate in the nuances of the game, Miller captures our attention with a title that at first glance might conjure up images of hypertension. But STROKE is aptly named. Pool players know that being "in stroke" is akin to basketball players being "in the zone."

Refreshingly, STROKE is not just another pool hustle novel. Sedonia Forbes, raised by a single-parent father who fostered her athletic skills and encouraged her competitive nature, wins the U. S. Amateur Women’s Golf Championship and is heralded as an up-and-coming, female Tiger Woods.

But before Sedonia turns professional, she receives two crushing blows. The first is the death of her father, and the second is a severe shoulder injury that precludes her ever playing golf again. These losses bring her life to a standstill.

When the story opens, Sedonia’s competitive nature and her need to excel begin to kindle a new fire among the ashes of her heartbreak. Leaving the country-club life behind, she enters the green felt, poolroom jungle.