Summary

Chapter 1. “My spine stretches tall, my chest broadens, I tuck my chin slightly and stand before the living wall of ice, unafraid. It isn’t a struggle. And in truth this ice wall is really just warn snowy fur” (77). The trainer describes part of her performance – a kiss-like interaction between her and the polar bear Tosca, nine other polar bears behind her. She describes how acute her senses are when dealing with the bears, and how she uses her whip to signify and maintain her power over them.

Narration then shifts focus as the trainer describes herself (short, feminine, over 40 but appearing younger in performance), and how her act with wild animals came into being – her boss, a man named Pankov, was struck by the potential appeal of a young and weak-appearing woman controlling wild animals. The...