Morgan and Katrina is the first novel by American author, Morgan Marquette. For the last nine years, mortician Morgan Galloway has kept to himself. He’s still heartbroken and, except for work and visits to Mike’s Music shop, he consoles himself with his Beatles music (he’s a big fan).

When ten-year-old Katrina wanders into his workroom at the funeral parlour and sees the body he is working on, he soothes her distress with a Beatles cassette on his Walkman. Katrina tells him her mother only allows her to listen to symphonies, but she’s immediately taken with his music.

Katrina knows not to mention the music to her mother: she’s already in enough trouble for embarrassing her at Grandfather’s special party (a little strange that he should pretend to sleep through the whole thing in that long wooden box). And Mother’s comment about shutting him in there is disturbing. At least Katrina isn’t locked in the closet, this time.

Sent out on boring chores with her nanny, Katrina spots a music shop and gets permission to go in. She finds Morgan standing in front of the Beatles cassettes and LPs (his happy place), and interrogates him about his music. Before long, despite Morgan’s strange appearance and quirky habits (gloves and an umbrella, all the time), he is giving Katrina music lessons.

But certain aspects of Katrina’s behaviour begin to worry Morgan: he wonders about her safety at home. Morgan, though, has his own secrets, and is really in no position to act: he’s a poor mortician, while Katrina is from a wealthy family, living in an exclusive part of town.

Marquette easily evokes his era (the early eighties), and quickly draws the reader into empathy for both Katrina, with her naivete due to her sheltered, if uncherished, upbringing; and Morgan, clearly still suffering from a tragedy in his past. Morgan’s genuine concern for Katrina mark him as one of the good guys. Their alternating narrative carries the story, with each chapter cleverly headed by a Beatles song title apposite to the content.

Katrina’s incredibly snobbish mother (a rather exaggerated stereotype) has a child-raising mindset that is like something from the nineteenth Century: “We’re in public. Ladies should always be cheerful in front of a man!”. In private, she liberally applies corporal punishment.

Katrina regularly admonishes herself: “A lady isn’t friends with the back of a chair”, “A lady doesn’t walk into a room with a slouched back” “A lady is always gracious” and “Never get caught in public without perfect attire”, hoping to avoid her mother’s ire.

Marquette’s debut novel does have a child abuse facet which is clear from the start, and a paranormal aspect that doesn’t become apparent until about halfway through, and which may not appeal to every reader, but it is original, funny and a little sad.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Independent Book Publishers.