The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein (2009 fiction)

At first I disdained the thought of novels told through a dog’s voice, but many friends had enthusiastically recommended The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein so I was willing to give it a try. On the cover Sara Gruen (Water for Elephants) says “This old soul of a dog has much to teach us about being human.” Besides that, there is much to teach (some of us) about race car driving as well. Excellently crafted and at times laughout- loud funny, this novel is about relationships, loyalty, love and hope as seen through the eyes of the “old soul” retriever terrier mix, Enzo. From there I delved into two other books “written” by dogs, A Dog’s Purpose and A Dog’s Journey by Bruce Cameron. Again wise books in which the dogs have the inherited memories of their previous lives and as such can become old souls too as they strive to find and fulfill their purpose in life. (Dogs have a purpose; cats just sit around and are useless according to Dog wisdom.) Whether
you’re a dog lover or not, the insights into dog thought processes and understandings give one pause (paws?) for thought. All of these books are available in the Castro Valley library in formats including e-books and large print.

Reviewed by Carol Lyke