Walter Mosley's five previous crime novels have featured the struggles of Easy Rawlins, a black detective of complex loyalties and mostly noble motivations whose power to captivate readers goes far beyond the mere fact of his race. The realities of being a black man in 1950s America have defined and shaped Rawlins, but his struggle to become a better man than he's ever needed to be is universally noble. With Gone Fishin', Mosley has finally gotten his first novel, Rawlins' coming-of-age tale, into print. As a very young Easy and his black-hearted friend Mouse travel through late-'30s Texas in search of Mouse's family money, they examine their ties to each other and their sad families. While confronting violence, poverty, and their own bone-deep sense of despair, each boy will ultimately choose to enter manhood in a way that will shape the rest of his life. This raw, brutal, beautifully told story is a great introduction to the character of Easy Rawlins, as well as to Mosley's writing. More importantly, Gone Fishin' elevates Mosely from crime writer to creator of American fable.