The Art of Racing in the Rain

It took me a total of 3 days to read this book and I am sad it's over. I absolutely loved it!

The Art of Racing in the Rain is about the relationship between the narrator, a mixed breed dog named Enzo, and his family: Denny, Eve and Zoe. At the beginning of the book, Enzo informs the reader that he is nearing the end of his life and he begins the tale of his life with Denny and the addition of Eve (the wife) and Zoe (the daughter).

Enzo watches as Denny falls in love with and builds a future with Eve, developing a strong friendship with Eve and protector for Zoe. Enzo also is a fan of race car driving, as Denny himself is an amateur racer. Denny and Enzo's life is ripped apart when Eve dies and a battle ensues over the custody of Zoe, a battle between Denny and his in-laws. Denny also faces other legal battles thanks to an overly ambitious 15 year old cousin who attempts, and fails, at initiating sex with Denny. Enzo witnesses all of this and tells the story from his silent perspective.

Enzo is not a “normal” narrator, as he is a dog but he has such an amazing understanding of what his owner and family are going through, as well as the various injustices Denny must face in order to prove that his daughter belongs with him and that he did nothing to the 15 year old cousin. I also learned a lot about racing in this book, as Enzo using racing to parallel the life he plays witness to.

This is a fast read and the characters are very likeable. As a dog fan, I especially loved that it was a dog who told the story. This has become one of my favorite books.