Summary

The narrator lived with his father in a French village. He helped his father André Paulhan run a tire shop, which André opened in 1925, the year the narrator was born. From a young age, the narrator worked with his father and learned about bikes and cars. André also taught him the importance of taking pride in his work. Most of their clients were local farmers but they held themselves to high standards. The narrator lived with the constant awareness that one mistake could bring “injury or even death” on a client (397).

The narrator’s father worshipped Dunlop and Michelin and admired their work. The narrator thought of André as the Michelin man, although he was thin, smoked heavily, and was always covered in grease (397).

In 1942, the narrator painted the shop sign, taking care with the lettering that read André Paulhan et Fils (397, Thorpe...