The Art of Racing in the Rain

by Garth Stein

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Chapters 36-38 Summary

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A few days after Eve’s death, Denny takes Enzo for a long walk. Enzo thinks Denny is seeking change because he bypasses his jeans and instead wears a nice pair of dark slacks. They go to one of their favorite parks, and Denny takes Enzo off the leash and lets him run around. After that park, they walk on farther to a park Enzo has never been to before. This one is wilder than the first, and Enzo runs through briars up and down the hills. Then to Enzo’s surprise, Denny does not turn back to go home. Instead he continues walking until they reach Lake View Cemetery. Enzo notices a group of people huddled together. Everyone is dressed in black. Then he sees Zoe.

When he and Denny draw closer to the crowd, Eve’s father and two of Eve’s brothers come forward and tell Denny that he is not welcome at Eve’s burial ceremony. Eve’s father, Maxwell, tells Denny that he was never good with Eve. And now that Annika has accused him of rape, Denny is also not good for Zoe. Maxwell threatens to call the police if Denny does not leave. When Zoe runs up to greet her father, Eve’s mother, Trish, comes over and tells Denny she understands why he is there, but it is best that he leave. There is always room for compromise, Trish tells Denny. But Denny insists he will never compromise when it comes to Zoe.

Zoe notices that her father has tears in his eyes. She tells him it is all right to cry because that helps make the hurt go away. Zoe then notices Enzo and cries out for him. Enzo feels very impressed that Zoe wants to pay attention to him. After Denny tells Zoe she will have to stay with her grandparents for a while so he can take care of some business, he and Enzo move away from the crowd. They wait until everyone leaves before they go back to the grave and say farewell to Eve.

The next morning, Enzo can barely move. His hip joints are so swollen it feels like his bones are fused together. Denny has to take Enzo to the doctor’s office, where he is diagnosed with degenerative arthritis. There is little the vet can do for Enzo except give him a drug that will help relieve some of the swelling and pain. The ailment will not get better, the doctor says. Enzo resigns himself to his fate. For the remaining years of his life, he will be in constant pain.

Several months go by without Denny’s being able to see Zoe. Eve’s parents (whom Enzo refers to now as the Evil Twins) obtain a temporary restraining order from the court. This means that Denny cannot come near Zoe. Enzo imagines that Denny feels as if Zoe had been abducted, and even though he knows where she is, there is nothing he can do to rescue her. To explain Denny’s absence in Zoe’s life, Mark suggests that Denny invent a story about taking a job too far away to come to see her. But Denny and Zoe can write to one another, and they do. When Zoe asks where Enzo is staying, Denny has to create another story. He tells Zoe that Enzo is with his friend Mike. Zoe then requests that Enzo visit her, and Denny arranges this. In this way, Enzo not only can play with Zoe, he also can watch how Zoe’s grandparents are taking care of her.

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Chapters 33-35 Summary

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Chapters 39-40 Summary

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