“There was a flowery plant on Tahni’s desk with a SAVE THE BEES sticker on the pot and I told her I like bees too because they’re pollinators (without them, food won’t grow) but she didn’t say anything back and that’s how I knew she didn’t want to do visiting with me.”

This passage illustrates the social disconnect Denny frequently experiences. His attempt to find common ground through a simple observation is met with silence, reinforcing his sense of isolation. Tahni’s non-response exemplifies the institutional indifference and impatience that characterize his interactions with authorities, who fail to engage with him on a human level.

“But then last year Dr. Baker gave us new official papers that say I’m neurodiverse, and when I asked him what that means, he said, ‘There’s no need to worry, Denny. It’s just a different way of saying the same thing. You haven’t changed, the world has!’”

This passage establishes Denny’s self-awareness regarding his disability and contextualizes it within changing social perspectives. Dr. Baker’s comment suggests a hopeful shift toward acceptance, reframing Denny’s condition as a natural variation. However, Denny’s subsequent experiences with the justice system reveal a significant gap between this ideal and reality.

“Maybe Tom Hanks isn’t an asshole. Maybe he’s just stuck here in Minnesota and more than anything in the world all he wants to do is go home to Canada so he can be with his special mate, and it seems like maybe he’s been trying to tell everyone that, but nobody’s been listening.”

Denny’s empathetic reflection about the goose reveals a core aspect of his character and foreshadows his own predicament. He projects his feeling of being misunderstood onto the bird, creating a logical, albeit legally flawed, justification for his actions. This rationale, driven by a desire to reunite the goose with its hypothetical mate, demonstrates his deep-seated belief in loyalty and connection.

“I smacked the side of my head to make the stuttering stop, then I took a deep breath and did some moaning because it felt like nobody was listening, and that’s when the CBSA male officer pulled out his Taser and zapped me.”

This event provides a stark example of how Denny’s coping mechanisms are misinterpreted as aggression. His smacking his head and moaning are desperate attempts to self-regulate in a high-stress situation. The officer’s immediate escalation to violence illustrates the system’s failure to recognize signs of neurological distress, instead responding with punitive force that criminalizes Denny’s disability.

“Yeah, but there are no rules about friends. Like, I’m pretty sure you can have as many as you want? Young or old, tall or short, fat or skinny—you just have to be careful to pick good ones, which are people who have the same kind of heart you do.”

This quote encapsulates Denny’s simple yet deep understanding of friendship, which is rooted in shared kindness rather than social conventions. By dismissing superficial differences (“tall or short, fat or skinny”), he highlights the core theme that love and connection are based on internal character. His wisdom, derived from Nana-Jo, offers a powerful counterpoint to a world that often judges him rashly.

“‘It was a terrible, horrible, awful day, so now, whenever people ask me about Papa-Jo, I tell them he died because his heart stopped working…but that’s a lie, because that’s not what really happened.’ ‘I know, Denny,’ said Dr. Harland. ‘He died because someone shot him in the back.’”

This revelation establishes the foundational event that shapes Denny’s worldview and his personal experience of The Trauma of Gun Violence. Papa-Jo’s death in a hunting accident is a personal tragedy that sensitizes Denny to the broader societal issue of gun violence. This leads to his later fixation on news of mass shootings and his attempt to get rid of his grandfather’s firearms, which serves as the novel’s inciting incident.

“‘I have stuff wrong with me too,’ and that’s when Marilyn laughed, and she said, ‘Oh, Denny, you’re fine just the way you are,’ and I said, ‘So is George.’”

Denny equates his own perceived “flaws” with George’s physical disabilities, showing his deep empathy and challenging societal notions of perfection. This exchange establishes their bond as one of the novel’s chief expressions of The Power of Unconditional Love; Denny and George offer each other a mutual acceptance that reflects Marilyn’s assurance that they are “fine just the way [they] are.”

“Nana-Jo told me I’m not allowed to watch TV by myself because I’m too suggestible, I take things too literally, and I fixate on the wrong stuff, and the world has enough unbearable heaviness to it without adding the daily anguish of having me watch something that can’t be unwatched, and that watching too much TV could send me down the wrong path and into an emotional tailspin.”

This quote provides important insight into Denny’s neurodivergence and Nana-Jo’s attempts to shield him from a world that could overwhelm him. It foreshadows the central conflict, as Denny’s violation of this rule leads to his fixation on news of mass shootings. The phrase “emotional tailspin” perfectly predicts the misguided actions he will take under the influence of this media-induced trauma. The entire passage is structured as a single run-on sentence, stylistically illustrating the sort of relentless fixation and “emotional tailspin” that Nana-Jo seeks to avert.

“I felt dizzy, so I rocked back and forth and did moaning, and then my throat closed up, and I felt like I couldn’t breathe, and my mind shrank down to a tiny ball and—BAM!—that was it, I didn’t come back for a while.”

This passage illustrates Denny’s visceral reaction to discovering Lydia is his mother. The sensory details, such as his dizziness, his throat closing, and his moaning, vividly depict his emotional overload and subsequent dissociation. It’s a key moment of trauma, showing how Denny’s world is shattered and how his mind protects him by temporarily shutting down.

“See, buddy? Lydia gave birth to you but you are nothing like her, which means you obviously inherited more of Nana-Jo’s traits than Lydia’s, which only seems fair since she was the one who raised you.”

Angus’s words affirm the novel’s argument for nurture over nature, reinforcing the theme of The Power of Unconditional Love. He validates Denny’s identity by connecting his positive traits directly to Nana-Jo’s maternal care, not his biological lineage.

“And I thought to myself, Wow, someone must have told the judge what Mr. Tesky said to me in the pharmacy and now he’s in trouble because he made me feel frightened, threatened, oppressed, persecuted, and intimidated.”

Denny’s interpretation of the Harassment Restraining Order demonstrates his deep literal-mindedness and naivete regarding the justice system. He believes the legal document, which is actually against him, is a form of protection. This misunderstanding is tragic, showing how his neurodivergence makes him vulnerable and unable to recognize the danger he is in while Tesky, the true harasser in the situation, uses his privileges to leverage the system against Denny.

“I have an idea! Why don’t we ask the judge to give me an HRO against Mr. Tesky and that’ll make things even because he also made me feel frightened, threatened, oppressed, persecuted, and intimidated.”

Denny’s earnest, logical-to-him suggestion exemplifies dramatic irony, as the reader understands the impossibility of his request. The author uses this moment to characterize Denny’s thought process, which is concrete and focused on emotional fairness rather than legal precedent. This gap in understanding is central to the theme of Mistreatment of People with Disabilities in the Criminal Justice System.

“I’m not eating if George isn’t eating.”

The declaration is a key character moment, revealing Denny’s capacity for deep loyalty and love as he prioritizes his dog’s emotional state over his own physical needs. This act of solidarity reinforces the theme of The Power of Unconditional Love, which sustains Denny through his ordeal.

“And I hugged the pillowcase against my chest and I felt like I couldn’t breathe, and my heart was going BOOM-BOOM-BOOM, so to calm myself down I closed my eyes and sang the theme song for Toy Story—‘You’ve Got a Friend in Me.’”

This quote highlights Denny’s primary coping mechanism for extreme stress—retreating into a familiar, comforting song. This innocent act of self-soothing is completely misinterpreted by the robber, showing the dangerous gap between Denny’s neurodivergent experience and how his actions are perceived, which often leads to escalation and further trauma for him.

“‘I’m not disabled.’ ‘Technically you are. [….] You’re not physically disabled, but when it comes to the rules, you’re considered developmentally disabled. We’ve talked about this before, remember?’”

Angus and Denny’s exchange complicates the novel’s portrayal of disability and ableism by challenging society’s fixation with defining people by their differences. Denny’s insistence that he’s “not disabled” illustrates his longing to define himself and be understood on his own terms.

“‘When she told us she was pregnant, she begged us not to tell anyone. She was scared. She wanted to give you up for adoption but we said no. Letting someone else raise our grandson? Never.’ She turned back to me. ‘I have no regrets. I’d do it all over again. Every minute of it.’”

Nana-Jo’s words epitomize the theme of The Power of Unconditional Love, establishing a stark contrast between her devotion and the cruelty of Denny’s biological father. Her unwavering commitment provides the emotional foundation that allows Denny to navigate his traumatic past.

“That’s when I decided to make a plan and be a good guy and do the right thing, because if Papa-Jo’s guns and bullets were gone from 8B, I’d feel much better and I could show Nana-Jo and Lydia and Angus that I could solve important problems by myself so they wouldn’t have to worry about me anymore.”

The passage employs dramatic irony, as the reader understands that his well-intentioned plan is destined for disaster. The simplistic, repetitive phrasing (“make a plan,” “be a good guy,” “do the right thing”) highlights his reasoning. This moment is the direct catalyst for his arrest, showing how the societal problem of gun violence can tragically manifest in an individual’s life.

“I leaned to the left and the sled flipped over and—SNAP!—the bungee cord broke and my shiny bundle of guns and bullets went flying through the air and when it finally hit the ground, the clingy plastic wrap ripped open and…suddenly there were guns and bullets everywhere.”

The author uses onomatopoeia (“SNAP!”) and vivid verbs (“flipped,” “flying”) to build a chaotic scene. The passage serves as the inciting incident for the entire novel, as this is the moment of Denny’s arrest described in the opening chapter. It is the ultimate example of how his well-meaning intentions are foiled and misinterpreted.

“And I said, ‘I’m not disabled, Angus.’ He was playing with his goatee and he turned and pointed at me, and said, ‘I know that, buddy, and you know that, but now you’re going to have to show everyone else in Woodmont that you’re not.’”

This exchange encapsulates the theme of Mistreatment of People with Disabilities in the Criminal Justice System. Angus’s advice highlights the central conflict: Denny’s innocence is not enough. He must also perform neurotypicality to be believed by a prejudiced system, leading to the courtroom battle where his disability is weaponized against him.

“So, in your opinion, on the night Henry Tesky was murdered, which was too cold to logically use a bicycle—for the court record, it was twenty-eight below—would it have been possible for the defendant—who doesn’t have a driver’s license, but who knows how to drive, and whom you yourself have said is a good driver—to have driven your truck or Joanne Voss’s car to Henry Tesky’s home on Penguin Hill?”

Prosecutor Easterville corners Angus with strategic questioning, demonstrating how the legal system manipulates facts to create a narrative of guilt. By framing a hypothetical possibility based on selectively chosen truths, Easterville plants a seed of doubt about Denny’s inability to commit the crime, regardless of how out of character it would be.

“Q: I’ll repeat the question. Who is Denny’s biological father? A: (Inaudible…00: 03) Q: Can you please repeat your answer, Ms. Voss? A: Henry Tesky.”

Kennedy adds to the novel’s suspense by including excerpts from the trial transcript in Denny’s narration. The reveal of Tesky as Denny’s father provides the prosecution with a motive, framing Denny’s alleged crime as an act of revenge. Lydia’s reluctant confession, indicated by the inaudible notation, emphasizes the deep-seated shame she feels about the family secret.

“Mr. Tesky said, ‘You are […] a dim, slow-witted embarrassment to the human race who never should’ve been born. Stay away from me!’”

The verbal abuse Denny endured from his biological father illustrates the societal prejudice faced by individuals with disabilities. Tesky’s cruelty further deconstructs the upstanding public image the mayoral candidate sought to construct of himself.

“You groomed our daughter, got her pregnant, and then left her twisting in the wind. For the love of God, Henry, she was just a child.”

This line, spoken by Nana-Jo in the security video, is the narrative’s turning point. It reframes Tesky as a sexual predator, exposing the decades-old secret that drove the plot. Nana-Jo’s outrage finally gives voice to Lydia’s trauma and demonstrates The Power of Unconditional Love.