Enzo the dog has heard on television that when dogs' souls have learned all there is to know, they come back to Earth as humans. More than anything, Enzo longs to be human; that way he can have thumbs and drive race cars the way his owner, Denny, does. This book tells the story of Denny, the premature death of his wife, and the ensuing custody battle with his in-laws that threatens to break him, all through the eyes of his beloved mutt. Through it all, Denny struggles to be the person Enzo sees him as. John Paul and I listened to this book on our drive down to Atlanta, and the narrator did a fantastic job; the speech patterns he uses as Enzo feel incredibly appropriate, and the voices are easy to tell apart. The story itself is a tearjerker, and I had to wipe my eyes on multiple occasions. The pacing is pretty good, although the end drags on and on. The sections about racing are interesting, and I wish I had written down the sayings he mentioned. "The car goes where the eyes go," and "That which we manifest is before us" stand out in my mind. I shouldn't have to insist you keep tissues on hand for a book about a dog, but I will anyway. A great summer read that will make you want to cuddle your pooch throughout.
How true, how true! I read this about a year ago and agree with all your comments. Didn't think I'd like it when it was recommended by the book club I was in but they were right. It's a good one.
ReplyDeleteI loved this book, and I think I used more than one tissue toward the end. Enzo is so endearing and loves Denny so much - oh just thinking about it....where's the tissue box?
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