I wasn’t sure I would like this book. It is a work of fiction written from the dog, Enzo’s, point of view. I generally find books voiced by an animal to be contrived or way too cutesy. This book proved to be the exception to the rule.
The book is The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein.
You can read a bit of it by clicking the link to Amazon above.I had a hard time reading the first chapter of the book as it begins with Enzo describing his condition of old age. I could see my Rusty in that description and it made my eyes wet. But as the story goes on, you can see it is about love, loss, family, perseverance, and eventually, triumph.
This book grabbed my heart and held on and squeezed it for every emotion I have ever felt. I had to look back at the opening several times to remind myself that this was a work of fiction. The author must have experienced love and loss and triumph in his life to be able to write so eloquently of these emotions, and make it so believable from a dog’s point of view. So well written, so poignant, yet so full of hope and triumph.
So, I would like to pass this book on to someone else who might enjoy it. You don’t even have to own a dog to get something from this book. If you would like to have the book, leave a comment and I will draw a name on Thursday when we get back from Portland. Then when you are done, you can pass it on to someone else. Kick back, relax in that lounge chair with a glass of lemonade, and enjoy the ride. This is a GREAT read.
