Who is Paul Rankin in When Zachary Beaver Came to Town by Kimberly Willis Holt?

Paul Rankin is Zachary's legal guardian. He travels with the carnival, using Zachary as a side show.... he makes his living by exploiting Zachary's weight. Over the course of the novel, Rankin abandons Zachary for two weeks, while he goes out on the road to find additional acts.