An octogenarian narrator recounts his extraordinary childhood during the second quarter of the century–the era of Prohibition, Babe Ruth, and Lindbergh–when Master Yehudi rescued him from the streets and taught him to fly and walk on water. Mr. Vertigo (1994), a historical novel by Paul Auster, follows a boy who joins a circus troupe and experiences sides of America he didn’t know existed. Critics, who praise the book for its characterisation and setting, note that the central character’s journey symbolises America’s own “coming of age,” and what it means to be American. Auster is an award-winning author best known for his portrayals of America. An international bestseller, he is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the American Academy of Arts and Letters.