Author greeted by human, canine fans

Accomplished author Garth Stein was met with the smiling faces of his fans and the wagging tails of working dogs Friday morning during a public meet and greet at the Yuma Heritage Library.

Stein is the author of the novel “The Art of Racing in the Rain,” which has been on the New York Times Best Sellers List for four consecutive years.

His book chronicles the life of Enzo, a dog who knows he is different from other dogs. The dog has educated himself by watching television extensively and by listening very closely to the words of his master, Denny Swift, an up-and-coming race car driver.

Through Denny, Enzo has gained tremendous insight into the human condition and sees that life, like racing, isn't simply about going fast.

On the eve of his death, Enzo takes stock of his life, recalling all that he and his family have been through.

Because of the dog-friendly nature of the tale, volunteers with the Humane Society of Yuma brought several working dogs to meet with Stein and area residents during the event, which was hosted by One Book Yuma.

“There were a lot of guide dogs in training out there today,” said Adrianne Wagner, Yuma Sun marketing manager and an event organizer. “It was fun to have furry puppies running around.”

Wagner was pleased with the community involvement.

“It was a great turnout. We always get a lot of response from the community, but this one we had over 100 people.”

One Book Yuma is a literacy and humanities program designed to engage the Yuma community in dialogue about pertinent, topical and timely issues important to area residents.

One Book Yuma is a collaborative effort between the Arizona Western College library staff, the Northern Arizona University-Yuma Branch library staff, the Yuma County Library District and the Yuma Sun.

Each summer, the One Book Yuma staff chooses a novel and encourages area residents to read it and discuss it during organized gatherings. Residents are then given an opportunity to meet with the author of the chosen book in the late winter or spring months.

A new novel will be chosen by the One Book Yuma Staff later this year. The staff encourages Yuma residents to purchase whatever novel is chosen, read the book and then participate in community discussions and events such as Friday's meet and greet.

Wagner also encourages Yuma-area high school English teachers and college professors to add the next book to their curriculum and to get their students involved with the events hosted by One Book Yuma.

For more information about the group, visit www.yumasun.com/onebookyuma, call 539-6805 or send an email to awagner@yumasun.com.