Who is Garth Stein?

...and where's he been all my reading life? Readers, do take a look when you get a chance.

http://www.garthstein.com/index.php

Thanks to my sister for recommending his truly wonderful book and shame on me for letting it sit on my desk at work for months because I wasn't sure I'd enjoy it. Auto racing? Not of interest to me. When will I learn not to close myself off from a new experience? It's not like me to do so. The Art of Racing in the Rain is really about love. The total opposite of Marley and Me, this novel is a paeon to a relationship, told from the perspective of the dog rather than his owner. It blows Marley out of the water!

When we meet Enzo he is philosophically accepting, one might say even anxiously looking forward to, his pending demise. He's confident that he has completed his job here as an animal and anticipates returning as a human being, ostensibly a higher level though readers might wonder about that! Reminiscing about his years with his family, Denny, Eve and Zoe, Enzo proves to be keen observer of the human condition who laments his inability to communicate on a level higher than simple barks and whines. He has plenty he'd like to say! Stein's imaginative voice is a delight as he channels Enzo, who loves watching TV with his person, feels jealousy when Eve enters their life yet rejoices when bonding with baby Zoe. There's a school of thought that abhors anthropomorphizing animals but pet owners know there's a person behind those eyes just dying to get out. My own pound dog, JJ, was my mom reincarnated - no kidding!

Denny, an aspiring race car driver, seems like that Peanuts character with the dark cloud always hanging over his head. He can't seem to catch a break. Publishers' Weekly criticized Stein for putting so many unbelievable obstacles in the way of Denny's peace and happiness. I'd like to know what rock the PW reviewer lives under. Most of my friends and relatives have all faced and overcome intermittent bouts of illness, divorce, poverty or angst. What they share with Denny and what makes life worthwhile are the friends, family, and yes, pets, who are there for all of us when we most need them.

Facing a two hour wait at the airport in Hartford, I dove into this book and couldn't put it down. I'll warn you that the lovely gentleman sitting next to me on the flight to Orlando surreptitiously handed me some kleenex when he saw my shoulders shaking and the tell tale wet spots on the page. I couldn't even look up to thank him. It's been quite a while since I've had such a cathartic, satisfying read.