The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein

I've read some very fine novels in the past couple months, and Garth Stein's "The Art of Racing in the Rain" is no exception. Stein does a masterful job of using a dog as his narrator, a very wise dog, I must admit. This dog, Enzo, reflects on his life and his family on the last day of his life.

Enzo, educated by watching TV while his people are away, and by being taken on a variety of adventures with his race car driving master, believes firmly that he will become a man in his next reincarnation. In fact, if it weren't for the fact that dogs do not have an opposable thumb, they might be able to do a variety of human tasks already.

Enzo witnesses the struggles of his master's family while the wife goes through fatal brain cancer and the venemnous way the wife's parents go about taking their granddaughter away from Enzo's master. It is a heart-wrenching story that many people will be able to relate to on many different levels.

This is one of those books that will continue to define the best of American fiction writing for years to come.

Liz Nichols