Garth Stein, author of the bestselling The Art of Racing in the Rain, is leaving HarperCollins, the house that published Rain in 2008, for Simon & Schuster, which will release his next novel in summer 2011. The deal, for world English rights, was brokered by Jeff Kleinman of Folio Literary Management, in an exclusive submission to acquiring S&S executive editor Marysue Rucci. Speaking to the move, Kleinman said: “We’ve been thrilled with Harper, but Marysue and S&S were really persuasive.” Kleinman declined to offer details on the advance.

Rain, Stein’s second book after the 2005 Soho Press-published How Evan Broke His Head and Other Secrets, took off after Starbucks annointed the book its Starbucks Pick in April 2008. Since then, according to Kleinman, the book has spent 21 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list, where it’s currently perched among the top 10 on the paperback list.

Stein’s new novel, set in a mansion in the Pacific Northwest, is a multigenerational tale about a young man trying to lift a curse that's remained over his family and affected his relationships and his home; according to Rucci, it “combines the longings of the heart with a touch of magic and mystery.”