Evaluating his life on the eve of his death, a typical canine Enzo considers the sacrifices his master, Denny Swift, has made in his pursuit of becoming a professional race car driver, and the dog's own efforts to preserve the Swift family.

Edgar Sawtelle, born mute, lives contentedly on his parents' Wisconsin farm helping raise a unique breed of dogs developed by his grandfather to embody the qualities of companionship and wisdom, but the death of his father and his belief that his uncle had something to do with it, force him to flee to the forest with only three yearlings for companionship, where he struggles to survive until the need to confront his uncle leads him home again.

Charlie Reade looks like a regular high school kid, great at baseball and football, a decent student. But he carries a heavy load. His mom was killed in a hit-and-run accident when he was ten, and grief drove his dad to drink. Charlie learned how to take care of himself--and his dad. Then, when Charlie is seventeen, he meets Howard Bowditch, a recluse with a big dog in a big house at the top of a big hill. In the backyard is a locked shed from which...