Ma Dalton by René Goscinny

Why read the book?

Ma Dalton enjoys a quiet retirement and a fine reputation with the townsfolk, which is exactly what her sons mean to exploit. When she invites Joe, William, Jack and Averell home, Joe uses her standing to set up robberies that no one suspects. Love for her boys, and for Averell most of all, soon draws Ma back into the family trade herself.

Lucky Luke must then deal with a grandmother who can shoot, scheme and bake, while keeping his manners about it. The album turns the usual Dalton chase on its head, since the gentlest figure in town is the most dangerous, and the brothers are merely her clumsy helpers.

Favourite quote

What I Loved

Giving the Daltons a mother is a stroke of comic genius, and Ma is fierce, fond and far smarter than her sons.

The gag of Luke caught between catching a criminal and respecting an old lady runs all the way through. Averell's hunger and his bond with Ma give the album real heart, and Morris draws her tiny, sweet and utterly ruthless.

Key Takeaway

Behind every Dalton stands a mother twice as sharp as her sons.

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