Summary
Another year comes and goes. Chapter 41 begins with Enzo describing a late and great endurance racer named Luigi Chinetti, who earned Ferrari their first racing win at the 24 Hours of Le Mans race in the year 1949. Enzo explains that the reason Chinetti’s win was so impressive is because he drove 23 and a half hours out of the 24 hours; he essentially won the entire race by his own efforts alone. Chinetti eventually moved to the United States, opened the first Ferrari dealership there, and lived to the ripe old age of 93.
Denny continues to take Zoë every other weekend. He takes her to as many cultural spots as he can to try and make the most of their time together. He hopes that though their time together is scarce, it enriches her young mind. So they visit museums, exhibits, the zoo, and other places where Zoë can learn about the world beyond her sheltered existence on Mercer Island. Denny also frequently takes Zoë go-karting, and it turns out that she is a natural talent.
The kid working the go-kart line makes a bet with Denny—if Zoë beats Denny in a race, he pays for the laps, and if Denny beats her, the laps are free. Denny goes into the race thinking that Zoë does not stand a chance, but she demonstrates that she can sense his kart behind her. Whenever he tries to pass, she shuts him down with an undeniable finesse. In the end, she wins, and they celebrate with milkshakes.
Though the legal battle continues with less drama than the previous year, a problem arises between Denny and his lawyer Mark Fein. The problem: Denny’s legal battles have drained him of all his money. So, Mark meets with Denny and tells him he has 30 days to pay his growing bill, or Mark will be forced to stop working on the case. Denny promises to pay.
The only solution he finds is to sell their house. So Denny and Enzo move to a cramped apartment on Capitol Hill. To make financial matters even worse, Maxwell and Trish sue Denny for child support, despite the fact that they never miss a chance to brag about having much more money than him.
At one point, Mark actually suggests that Denny surrender custody of Zoë to The Evil Twins, which he says would almost certainly guarantee the criminal charges be dropped, but Denny refuses. Mark makes the point that Maxwell and Trish have a lot to offer Zoë—private schooling, a college fund, a stable family environment—and with Zoë out of the house, Denny could focus on his racing career. But Denny refuses to yield, so Mark continues to work.
Shortly after Denny catches up with his legal fees, Mark Fein accepts a position as a judge in a circuit court, so Denny finds new representation with a lackluster lawyer named Lawrence. Enzo is not impressed with Lawrence. He lacks the winning energy and confidence that Mark always brought to the table. He works slower than Mark and seems less passionate about the work. When The Evil Twins decide to sue Denny for child support, Enzo starts to wish bad karma upon them. Enzo personifies Karma as a character named “King Karma,” and says that King Karma visits Maxwell and Trish while they sleep and gives them bad dreams about being chased by a pack of wild dogs.
Analysis
This section deals heavily with Buddhist ideas of karma and reincarnation as understood by Enzo. The point of his description of Luigi Chinetti comes at the end of Chapter 41 when Enzo describes some child somewhere with extraordinary dexterity who has inherited the skills and soul of Luigi Chinetti through reincarnation. Of course for Enzo, this would be the dream situation for him to be reincarnated as a human racecar driver, or a child with the skills necessary to be a racecar driver. As we approach the end of the novel with the expectation that Enzo will die, Stein references ideas of karma and reincarnation with more frequency to prepare the reader for Enzo’s probable death.
When Zoë and Denny race on the go-kart track, Stein contributes even more to this intangible idea of inherited skills and traits. In Chapter 42, Enzo explains that Zoë is “better and quicker and smarter” (242) than Denny, and thus energizes him and gives him the strength to keep fighting for custody of her every time they see each other. The fact that when she races Denny Zoë can sense Denny’s car behind her without actually seeing him suggests a natural intuition that cannot be explained in scientific terms, quite like reincarnation and karma. This section offers the reader hope that no matter what The Evil Twins do to try and drive a wedge between Denny and Zoë, they cannot erase the natural link between father and daughter.
Denny’s choice to sell their house, which is less of a choice than an absolute necessity, represents a major sacrifice on his part. Not only does selling the house put him in a far less comfortable living situation, but it also severs a huge sentimental tie to Eve. That house represents Denny and Eve’s hopes to raise a family and grow old together. But now, Maxwell and Trish’s cruel crusade forces Denny to revert back to a lifestyle reminiscent of his bachelor days. From the outside, it may appear that Denny lands right back where he started before meeting Eve—in a cramped, undecorated Seattle apartment with his dog. But emotionally, we know that Denny has completely changed into a loving father and grieving widower with a world of responsibility resting on his shoulders.
Chapter 45 introduces Denny’s new, unimpressive lawyer, Mr. Lawrence. Mr. Lawrence represents a shift in Denny’s share of the responsibility for winning the custody battle. Whereas before, with Mark Fein, the reader could be confident that Denny had a winner in his corner, now with Mr. Lawrence Denny will have to emulate Luigi Chinetti in the 24 Hours of Le Mans and do most of the driving himself. Chapter 45 also portrays Enzo’s full thoughts on the concept of karma and reveals a definite Buddhist influence on the way he thinks.
