The Art of Racing in the Rain

My sister-in-law gave this book for me for Christmas, saying “I know you love dogs and I think you’ll enjoy this story as its told from a dog’s point of view.”  Well, let me point out immediately, this sounded not only hokey, but also weird.  I picked up the book one night and quickly discovered, I was dead wrong.  Bottom line: I loved this book. 

Author Garth Stein creatively crafts a story about a Seattle family, that suddenly encounters several crises.  Watching the family cope, and narrating all the twists and turns in the story, is the family pet, Enzo.  The dog’s thoughts and opinions are so spot-on and basic – it made me laugh out loud!  For me, hearing astute, sobering observations from a dog, made me think about how we often get mired down in details with our daily hustle and bustle.  The result is that we often miss the big picture.

I loved the characters in the book, and needless to say, I adored the dog.  And, not to give away too much, but I wept at the beautifully written ending.  It was incredibly poignant and hopeful – not to mention of the most interesting takes on the after life I’ve ever read.