The Art of Racing in the Rain

Have you ever wondered what exactly our beloved house pets are thinking and feeling? A man’s best friend has the ability to seemingly feel exactly what their human owners feel, without so much as a word to explain it. The bond between man and dog has been so great, that dogs have been considered not only as a pet but part of a family. Garth Stein captures vividly the thoughts of Enzo, a family dog owned by Denny Swift, a race car driver. Enzo proves to be one of Denny’s greatest source of strength as he faces an ugly battle of custody over his own child, Zoe, against his in-laws shortly after the death of his wife. Balancing both the life of becoming a race car driver and gaining custody of Zoe, Denny is caught in a whirlwind of human tragedies that Enzo witnesses as he grows up. Enzo becomes the compassionate dog who was able to familiarize himself well with the complex human conditions of pain, suffering and yes, even joy. The startling resemblance of Enzo to anybody’s family dog makes this novel an enjoyable and heart wrenching read. You will find yourself at home with the family of Denny, Zoe and the lovable Enzo. Garth Stein was able to draw the reader from the outside of the book into the world of Denny and Enzo where lies all the familiar things we know about humans and their tragedies and triumphs. Quoted from the book, Enzo says, 

"Such a simple concept, yet so true: that which we manifest is before us; we are the creators of our own destiny. Be it through intention or ignorance, our successes and our failures have been brought on by none other than ourselves." 

And leaves us with the one of the great lessons the book can impart to you, which is something you will have to discover once you read it.