The Art of Racing in the Rain: A Novel (Harper Perennial Olive Editions)

4.5 stars

The Art of Racing in the Rain is the third novel by American author, Garth Stein. Enzo is a Labrador (with a bit of terrier in him too, maybe?) who lives with Denny Swift, a talented racing car driver. When Denny marries Eve, it takes Enzo a while to accept her, but when little Zoë comes along, she has his unreserved vow of protection.

Things may be almost perfect: a house with a yard, a family to love and plenty of race videos to watch: Enzo loves car racing! Enzo bemoans his lack of opposable thumbs and his inability to speak, but he is quite convinced that he will reincarnate as man. Unfortunately, life sometimes has other plans, and when tragedy strikes the Swift family, not everyone acts with integrity and generosity. Enzo can only do what he does best: offer his unqualified support.

Stein's tale touches on subjects topical and age-old: balancing work travel with family time; avoidance of medical experts for fear of adverse diagnosis; the tenuous position of a male in a position of trust with a teenaged girl and the potential for malicious accusations. These sobering themes are interspersed with quite a bit of car racing. This is a book with humour and heartache, with wisdom and wit. A heart-warming read with a sweet ending.

I'm a dog lover so therein lies my bias. Don't usually read fiction, but a friend recommended and I found it a good read, cleverly written, conveying some good and simple truths (those being the most complex). The denouement got a bit trite, but still I'd look with interest at other titles by this author.

Plenty of heart and humor. I was hooked from the first page.