Grady McClarty

Grady is in his 70s living in Midland, Texas, when he sets out to record his memories of the leopard escape. The story then drops back to when he was five-years-old, shortly before the escape. There is some information about Grady as an adult, but the majority of the important facts are focused on Grady at age five. This guide also focuses on that time of his life. Grady has a brother named Danny who is a year older. They live with their mother and her family, including Bethie's parents, two brothers, and one sister. The family is the center of Grady's world, and he feels completely safe. As an adult looking back, Grady is able to see that he felt entitled to that security in a world that had recently come out of World War II and was headed for many social changes.

Grady is an...