I was twelve years old the first time I walked on water. The man who taught me how to do it was dressed in black, and I'm not going to pretend that I learned the trick from one moment to the next. Master Yehudi found me when I was nine years old, an orphan boy begging for pennies on the streets of St. Louis, and he worked with me continuously for three years before allowing me to demonstrate my abilities publicly.

And so begins the story of Walt, a stray orphan from the Midwest of the USA, who will meet a mysterious man who promises to teach him how to fly. The terrifying and yet charming Master Yehudi will prepare Walt not only to conquer matter but also for the fame that comes with flying.

A journey through 1920s America where everything seems possible and at the same time an excellently suggestive parable, Mr. Vertigo is a magical novel by a writer at the height of his art.