Winton’s grandfather is a person about whom Winton hears dozens of colorful stories involving theater and other eccentricities, but by the time Winton is a child, his grandfather drives Betsy, the most embarrassing car Winton can imagine. Though his grandfather is inextricably tied to that embarrassment, he is also a voice of reason in Winton’s life, encouraging him to get an education and to use his own mind to its fullest potential.