An unforgettable novel of a working dog, Etna, who, after a devastating war, embarks on an odyssey in the hopes of returning home.
'Gorgeous…a sublimely quiet depiction of loneliness and disorientation.' Hernan Diaz, Pulitzer Prize winning author of Trust and In the Distance
‘For all its compactness, Etna has the shape of an epic. The story draws explicit comparisons to Homer’s The Odyssey… the novel is tied deeply into both ancient literary tradition and tragically perennial concerns’ Atlantic
Set in a fictional country in the present day, this is a story told through the eyes of an ex-military dog, Etna. After surviving years of a devastating war, Etna decides one night to leave the men he has fought alongside and return home - to the place where he was taken from when he was young, in the thin but persistent hope that if a home exists for him, it might be there.
Thus begins an exhilarating odyssey told through the eyes of a dog as he traverses across ruined landscapes and fights to survive in a world that proves, even in peacetime, to be just as precarious as in war. Along the way, he encounters other animals and humans who are trying to resume their lives again. What makes a life when there is no home to go back to? How do we begin to trust each other again after such devastation?
This is a novel about the power of an idea, about never giving up and, ultimately, about finding hope in the most dire of times.
‘In this masterful and infinitely moving dog’s tale, Yoon shows us what great fiction can do: change the way we see the world by sharing the song of another heart. Destined to be a classic.’ Mona Awad, New York Times bestselling author of We Love You, Bunny and Rouge
'This book is stunning. I was with it every second and it will be with me for a long time.' Joan Silber, author of Mercy and Ideas of Heaven
‘A wonder of a novel.’ Andrew Krivak, author of Like the Appearance of Horses and The Sojourn
‘For all its compactness, Etna has the shape of an epic. The story draws explicit comparisons to Homer’s The Odyssey… the novel is tied deeply into both ancient literary tradition and tragically perennial concerns… In Yoon’s hands, a character’s suffering never overwhelms their capacity for tenderness. The author always insists on the enduring humanity of his displaced subject – even when they aren’t human’ Atlantic 'Remarkable…Yoon brilliantly creates voices for human and canine that make both more whole' Los Angeles Times 'Gorgeous…a sublimely quiet depiction of loneliness and disorientation.' Hernan Diaz, Pulitzer Prize winning author of Trust and In the Distance ‘In this masterful and infinitely moving dog’s tale, Yoon shows us what great fiction can do: change the way we see the world by sharing the song of another heart. Destined to be a classic.’ Mona Awad, New York Times bestselling author of We Love You, Bunny and Rouge 'This book is stunning. I was with it every second and it will be with me for a long time.' Joan Silber, author of Mercy and Ideas of Heaven ‘A wonder of a novel.’ Andrew Krivak, author of Like the Appearance of Horses and The Sojourn
