The God of Driving - by Amy Fine Collins (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

As a top correspondent for Vanity Fair magazine, Amy Fine Collins leads a glamorous life, a charmed whirlwind of gala parties, couture clothing, and five-star travel. In Manhattan, where she is whisked around in taxis and limousines, she has been able to disregard her long-standing fear of driving, a legacy handed down from her accident-plagued family. But when the brilliant and determined Amy finally decides to confront her driving phobia, she does not foresee how far from her elegant turf this resolution will take her.

A mysterious, good-looking Turk named Attila is dispatched to her doorstep in a dual-brake Acura, and in him Amy discovers not only a superhumanly skilled instructor but also a wise, patient, and capable man who, inexplicably and irresistibly, over the course of their yearlong lessons, begins to transform and transport her.

Both a compelling portrait of an elusive, charismatic hero and an inspiring adventure story, The God of Driving recounts the evolving relationship of Amy and Attila as they zoom in and out of urban interstates and country byways, as close to home as Park Avenue and as far away as Hamburg -- in muscle cars, turbocharged Bentleys, and hang-on-for-your-life motorcycles. And while Attila is completely changing her life, Amy is entirely remaking his, prompting him to uncover -- and redeem -- his shadowy past. Vibrant and funny, The God of Driving is an offbeat, romantic odyssey -- a true-life tale of unlikely soul mates who bump into each other at the crossroads of high gears and high style.

Review Quotes

Simon Winchester bestselling author of "The Professor and the Madman" One for the eternal bedside table: this tender, wise, and beautifully written hymn to the magic of machines is a book that delights me every time I open it. In one sense a love story and in another a portrait of an entirely unforgettable driving instructor, it is also the perfectly constructed account of one autophobic woman's conversion and redemption, of her fascinating journey to that unique place where Prada yields to Pennzoil. I cannot speak highly enough of this wonderful achievement.

Susan Isaacs "The God of Driving" is a real-life story of a friendship that is both delicious and profound. Amy Fine Collins has written a most memorable memoir.

About the Author

Amy Fine Collins is a Special Correspondent to Vanity Fair, where for the past fourteen years she has written about design, art, fashion, vintage Hollywood, and society. She has received three degrees in art history from Swarthmore College and Columbia University, and lives in Manhattan. One day she hopes to drive a Bentley of her own