Chapter 1 Summary

Harry Angstrom, also known as Rabbit—a nickname from his high school basketball days, stares out the window of the showroom of Springer Motors, one of two Toyota dealerships in the Brewer, PA area. It's a quiet summer Saturday during the time of the Iran hostage crisis. Gas lines are making people behave wildly about their cars, but it has not stopped them from buying. In fact, business has never been better, although there is not a lot action today. Harry is the chief sales representative and owner of Springer Motors; or rather, he and his wife Janice are co-owners of 50%. His mother-in-law, Bessie Springer, widow of the founder, owns the other 50%. Old man Springer ran the place with an iron fist. He would keep the showroom open on a snowy night when Route 111 had not been plowed and he was always grinding...