Enzo believes he will be reborn as a human, and he is ready. He has spent his life as a dog observing his owner Denny, a race car driver, learning about life, love, and the techniques of racing. Now, as his body fails, he looks back on what he has witnessed and understood. Garth Stein's novel tells a family's story through the eyes of a dog who cannot speak but who perceives more than the humans around him realize. Denny's wife dies young; her parents sue for custody of their granddaughter; Enzo watches helplessly as his family is nearly torn apart. The racing provides metaphor throughout: life, like racing, requires knowing when to brake and when to accelerate, accepting conditions you cannot control, finding the right line through turns. Enzo has educated himself by watching television, absorbing documentaries about Mongolia, where dogs are believed to reincarnate as humans, and racing broadcasts that teach him his owner's craft. The novel is sentimental in the best sense, taking emotions seriously while avoiding easy resolutions. Stein, a filmmaker before becoming a novelist, creates scenes that unfold with visual precision. Readers who love dogs will find Enzo irresistible; those who do not may find themselves converted.