Return to Duty - J.E. Laine

Shabbat, October 7, 2023, sirens and bombs instantly alter a reserve soldier's life. Within hours, twenty-one-year-old Vitaly Katz is recommissioned into the Israeli Defense Force.

Return to Duty rushes into a whirlwind of chaos after weeks of Jewish holidays. Soon, Vitaly is deployed to the smoldering ruins of the Nova Music Festival, attended by his sister and her friends. Hours later, his family's Ashdod kibbutz is attacked.

Later, Vitaly and his squad deliver supplies to Ashkelon's Medical Center, devastated by enemy bombs. They eventually tunnel through the "Gaza Metro" on a hostage search. What they find is astonishing and dangerous.

Depressed and confused, the young soldier struggles. An unanticipated opportunity is offered, redirecting his service and, surprisingly, his entire career.

Unforgettable, relevant, and relatable, Return to Duty depicts war in real time.