The famous Walker & Dawn Catalogue

Louisiana, 1904. In the Bayou, the large, mythical marsh land on the Mississippi Delta crisscrossed with canals, marshes and palm forests, live Te Trois, Eddie, Julie and Tit, as free as only children in those times and places could be, and they built a secret hideaway and a canoe to navigate the river and its snares. And the river will give them back three dollars, which they use to buy a gun from the Walker & Dawn Catalogue. What they receive, however, is an old broken watch coveted by several people. Through a vivid style and powerful descriptions (which earned him several prizes and international fame), Davide Morosinotto writes an adventure novel that's both funny and touching, while perfectly weaving coming-of-age themes into it. The four protagonists grow up and gain self-awareness while overcoming obstacles and difficulties. On the background, a cross-section of American society of that time, with cotton plantations, juvenile jails and cattle wagons. The story of a deep friendship, union, courage, desire for justice, payback and strength in unity unravels for the readers in perfect Mark Twain style. The author's voice unites and maintains the coherency of a four-way narrative where each character's traits is highlighted through constantly different narrative devices: in the first part, each chapter is a page of the famous catalogue, narrated by Te Trois, the driving soul of the group, the real adventurer; the second part is Ed's, interpreter of the nature and people that the children are learning to read like maps on their journey from Louisiana to Chicago; the third narrator is Juju who, with her rational and analytical mind, is the one who questions things, solves clues and find the answers. Her narration consists of the newspaper articles that tell of Walker & Dawn's mystery. Tit, with short words and no images, as per his nature, closes the narrative – the child who's become a man and tells in his own way how the adventure of the long-lost watch ended, what became of them and their life.  

Il rinomato Catalogo Walker & Dawn (The famous Walker & Dawn Catalogue)
by Davide Morosinotto
Mondadori, 2016