Summary

Chapter 1 opens with the subtitle, “To the Oklahoma Historical Society.” The narrator introduces himself as Grady McClarty, former general manager of a Midland, Texas, Chevrolet dealership. He writes that he was asked to provide an oral history of his memories of a leopard escape from a zoo in Oklahoma City when Grady was a child in the early 1950s. He discovered he could not organize his thoughts to present his memories orally. So, he chose to write instead. He has always loved to read and has tried to write a novel. At his age – in his 70s now – it “feels not just natural but sort of urgent” to consider those memories (4). He cites the fact that he was only five when the leopard escaped, which might affect his ability to remember details. He pledges to be as honest and accurate as he can...