To Dance with the White Dog by Terry Kay

This table contains a chapter by chapter summary of To Dance with the White Dog by Terry Kay

Chapter	Summary
Ch. 1 Death of Cora Peek	Sam Peek's wife Cora has just died. He lays in his room listening to his family as they discuss what they should do about him. He reflects on the events of the day.
Ch. 2 The Funeral	After the funeral, Sam drams of a conversation between Cora and Neelie, where Neelie tells his wife she will take care of him. After church people leave home, Sam writes in journal of "the saddest day I have lived in my 81 years." He dreams of teasing his wife about marrying a girl from "one of them leg shows out in Atlanta."
Ch. 3 Following the Funeral	Next day, Neelie aggravates him and the girls. Children "hover" for a week, but gradually give him more time to himself. Sam wants his independence.
Ch. 4 White Dog	Starving white dog appears, licking grease droppings from porch. Chases off dog, but then puts out food and water while making plans for Noah to shoot the dog, believing it is rabid. Since no one else has seen the dog, and other dogs have not reacted, Kate and Noah think Sam has imagined it. The dog continues to visit, and Sam decides to keep her around.
Ch. 5 Teasing Family	Sam does not put out food and does not see the dog for several days. Dog returns.Neelie visits, complains girls are not taking care of him. Neelie wans Sam about Morris boys local boys running neighborhood. Sam, teasing, tells Neelie to tell girls they should "take better care of him." Next day, girls arrive, and Neelie takes them to task. Sam tells girls he told Neelie they were not taking care of him, but girls think he is teasing. Sam learns family thinks he is hallucinating white dog.
Ch. 6 Day at the Cemetery	Peek leaves predawn and spends day at cemetary with White dog. 3 weeks since Cora's death (journal).
Ch. 7 Hattie Lewis	Reads obituary of death of Hattie Lewis. Talks to son James about her. Remembers surprising Cora with James' return from overseas. Tells story of Neal reciting peckerwood poem in school. Difference between cow and human. James takes to funeral home. Reminisces with old men. Neal tells James Sam put him up to stunts with dares and wrote poem. Sam denies. Long talk after with James.
Ch. 8 Hattie's Funeral/Dances	Rainy day. Sam listens to radio preacher. Reads Bible stories.Adam and Eve, naming animals, age of antedeluvians, Sodomaand Gomorrah and Lot's daughters. Dances for first time with white dog. Called Neal about funeral. Tries to make biscuits. Dog under bed when Kate comes by. Tells her about dance. Asks here to teach him to make biscuits. Dreams of Hattie Lewis gives her comb, makes her boyfriend Oscar Beatenbo jealous.
Ch. 9 Teasing Girls about White Dog	Monday after Hattie's funeral. Kate shows how to make biscuits. Pretends to Carrie to see white dog when dog not there. Next day, Kate and Carrie claim to see dog he says dog is not there. Girls try to convince him to see doctor (shrink). They offer to bring dog food for white dog. He writes in journal about not being able to play games with them when they were children, about climbing flag pole and footrace against Horace Brown, and meeting Ty Cobb mean. (Hint he realizes he is being mean teasing gilrs about white dog).
Ch. 10 Covert Operations	Kate and Carrie discuss father's "mental illness" and how people will react to them. Husbands and brothers tell them not to make much of dog. Girls deny father has ever teased them (purchase of mule). Girls make plan to spy in morning. Show up with ashes on face. Husbands reveal them to father. Girls make excuses. Husbands enjoy discomfiture. Sam does not realize their intent.
Ch. 11 Sam's Collapse	Thinks about Cora and Bonanza. Collapese. White dog seen by Kate and Noah who discover Sam and call hospital.
Ch. 12 Hospital	Sam awakens in hospital. Does not remember white dog getting out. Neelie rants about ghost dog.Family sees dog dance with Sam. He tells them she bathes each night.
Ch. 13 Cemetery/Marshall	Trips to Cemetery. Memories of meeting Cora through Marshall Harris. Journal.
Ch. 14 Reunion Plans	Plans trip to reunion. Talks to Hoyt about fixing truck. Family concerned because he is usually so frugal.
Ch. 15 Trip to Bank	Has Kate take him to bank. Kate and Carrie fearul he is losing mind value of money. "Tests" him candy.
Ch. 16 Truck Fixed	Truck fixed. Tells family traveling to Neal Lewis's
Ch. 17 Lost	Sam is lost. Family heard him leave. Begin to worry.
Ch. 18 Family Worries	Family contacts Lewis. Learns Sam is not there and no plans. Begin to worry in earnest. Sam parks for night.
Ch. 19 Fears and Worries	Neelie frightens the family, claiming first that the "ghost dog" spirited Sam away and then suggesting that the Morris brothers may have acted revenge. James, fearful, leaves to confront the Morris brothers. Paul and Sam Jr., afraid of what he might do, insist on going with him. James and Herman Morris, confront each other, guns drawn, but James eventually realizes the Morris family is not reponsible for his father's disappearance. Sam, meanwhile, cold, dreams of the day he took Cora to the woods at Madison A&M and asked her to marry him. Waking, he sees a resemblance in the dog's eyes of Cora's.
Ch. 20 Morning After	Sam is awakened in the morning by preacher/farmer Howard Cook, who's son had found Sam and thought him dead. The white dog, somehow, has left the truck. The boy stopped because he got a glimpse of her. The Cook's feed him and let him nap. Cook offers to let Sam follow him into town. While Sam sleeps they discuss him and their worries.
Ch. 21 On the Trail	In the morning, the sheriff arrives to talk to Sam's family. Sam had been spotted, and the police in nearby counties ant the State Police have been alerted. Off by himself, James struggles with his confrontation with Morris and what might have happened.
Ch. 22 Traveling to Madison	Cook speculates about Sam, the dog, and God's providence and decides to call Sam's family. Sam sits outside M A&M and watches another old man enter. He sees Kerr, who had suggested she was attracted to him when he got engaged to Cora. He leaves and goes to the woods with white dog to where he proposed. He returns to the school and sees Martha.\
Ch. 23 Martha Dunaway Kerr	Martha tells him many girls were jealous of Cora, how he is famous (horticulture journals), how she has some of his trees. He lies, saying his granddaughter brought him to town. She never had children and tells him to be glad he did not get caught by her. Sam leaves to go home and is found by James.
Ch. 24 Final Years	Refuses to answer questions about trip. Tells family Neal must have forgot he was coming to visit. After returning, he lets family drive him where he needs to go. He attends many funerals, including Neelie's. Begins researching his and Cora's genealogy and talks to children of his childhood. Children question less the clarity of his mind. Radio preacher claims world will end Mar. 10. Sam thinks of sending him a check, postedated Mar. 11. Sam realizes he has cancer, has it confirmed by a dr., and tells James.
Ch. 25 Final Days	Finally has James tell others. Doesn't want them to hover. Eventually asks them to stay close. When Alma moves in, white dog leaves, never to return. Day he dies tells James White dog was Cora. Tells James every night White Dog transformed into Cora and lay beside him. At graveyard after Sam's burial, James finds paw prints on grave.