Open Throat is narrated by a mountain lion who lives in the hills under the Hollywood sign. It’s difficult to be a creature living in the wild when you’re smart enough not to get caught, but in the drought-ridden world, finding food and water proves a challenge even for the most cunning of hunters.
The lion is lonely. They spend a lot of time listening to hikers and others pass by, talking about therapy, relationships, ambition, and lots of other things the lion doesn’t understand. They also dream of their father, who was brutally violent, and the life they wish they could live.
When a forest fire started purposely flushes the lion out of the hills, they find themselves having to go to the city of “ellay,” as the hikers call it. And from there, the lion is tempted by their true nature as well as the desire to become more human, to be cared for.
All of the descriptions of this book refer to the lion as queer. There isn’t anything in the text that leads you to that conclusion, so I’m wondering if it’s more of a metaphor, that the lion—like LGBTQIA+ people in many places—is fine as long as they stay hidden and behave in an acceptable way.
Maybe I’m overthinking, but this was fascinating. Thanks to MCD x FSG for the advance copy!
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