Cover of Open Throat

Open Throat

First published 2023

About the book

A queer and dangerously hungry mountain lion lives in the drought-devastated land under the Hollywood sign. Lonely and fascinated by humanity’s foibles, the lion spends their days protecting a nearby homeless encampment, observing hikers complain about their trauma, and, in quiet moments, grappling with the complexities of their gender identity, memories of a vicious father, and the indignities of sentience.

Read the full description

When a man-made fire engulfs the encampment, the lion is forced from the hills down into the city the hikers call “ellay.” As the lion confronts a carousel of temptations and threats, they take us on a tour that spans the cruel inequalities of Los Angeles and the toll of climate grief. But even when salvation finally seems within reach, they are forced to face down the ultimate question: Do they want to eat a person, or become one?

Henry Hoke’s Open Throat is a marvel of storytelling, a universal journey through a wondrous and menacing world recounted by a lovable mountain lion. Feral and vulnerable, profound and playful, Open Throat is a star-making novel that brings the mythic to life.

Prizes

  1. 2024 Finalist

About the author

Henry Hoke, United States.

Subjects

Catalogue record

Author
Hoke, Henry
Statement
Open Throat / Henry Hoke.

Book facts

ISBN
978-0-374-60987-0
4 more ISBNs
  • 978-1-0350-0775-2
  • 978-1-0350-0778-3
  • 978-0-374-60988-7
  • 978-1-250-33580-7
Records
Open Library

Catalogue data checked 3 October 2026