The Leopard Is Loose

Oklahoma City after World War II is fraught with racial tensions and a false sense of tranquility. When it’s announced that a leopard has escaped from the local zoo, the city is gripped with fear and excitement. Five-year-old Grady McClarty and his older brother are equal parts terrified and intrigued, while their two uncles are excited at the prospect of bagging the wild animal. The war may have ended before Grady was born but he can feel its effects all around him, even if he can’t understand it. His widowed mother, Bethie, is still grieving and fearful for her sons, and his two uncles are erratic and suffering from alcoholism and PTSD, yet still determined to act as father figures for their nephews. Told through Grady’s naive and youthful view, Harrigan’s (The Gates of the Alamo) latest shows what it’s like to start viewing the world through a new lens. Segregation, postwar trauma, family dynamics, and the complexity of right versus wrong are digested piece by piece by Grady, who is the heart and soul of the novel. Wonderfully narrated by George Guidall, whose distinct voice brings authenticity and energy to young Grady.