How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #4
The group meal was convivial, and though I was determined to remain aloof, one of the cousins was always willing to slip me a treat at mealtime. And no one ever kicked me out from under the very large dining table where I lingered during dinner, even though I was breaking my own personal code; a certain sense of lawlessness pervaded the house…Why shouldn't I have partaken in the debauchery? (25.3)
When Denny, Enzo, and Zoë visit Eve's extended family up in Methow Valley, it seems like everyone's personal codes are on hiatus, not just Enzo's. We're looking at you, Annika.
Quote #5
[Denny] opened a package of peanut butter sandwich crackers he must have gotten from a vending machine. I love those crackers the best. It's the salt and the butter in the crackers mixed with the fat in the peanuts. I tried to eat slowly, savoring each bite, but I was too hungry and swallowed them so quickly I barely got to taste them. What a shame to waste something so wonderful on a dog. Sometimes I hate what I am so much. (19.3)
Enzo's love of people food helps him feel like more of a person here, but it's in this moment of enjoyment that he has to step back and assess what he really is—and it upsets him. We're reminded that Enzo sometimes feels trapped in his own skin, and he wants more than anything to be what he can't become. On that note, is anyone else craving peanut butter sandwich crackers now?
Quote #6
"Your wife cooked a delightful dinner," Luca said. "I remember it still. Please accept my sincere and heartfelt condolences." (50.11)
During Luca's first interaction with Denny, he tells him that he remembers Eve's cooking. It's a small gesture, but it's part of a bigger picture. Later, Luca reaches out to Denny because he also lost his wife and was given the opportunity that he now wants to present to Denny. So it's the small act of honoring Eve's memory through this comment that gives us a hint into Luca's thinking: it's a big reason why he has chosen Denny as his mentee. It also shows that Luca's just an all-around nice guy. We knew we liked him.