Oh, Etna! I didn’t know what to expect going into this book but fell in love almost instantly. What an odyssey! From the horrors of war to the horrors of its aftermath to the persistent, stubborn, damning hopefulness of both dog and human spirit, I felt as if I walked with Etna step-for-four-legged-step across this unnamed, war-shattered land in an attempt to find home. Each character stole my heart – Hong, Soojin, Semeru, the old dog – and proved that home is not so much a place as it is the pack that follows you and fights for you, even into and against the unknown. This is one that will stick with me for quite some time.
Etna by Paul Yoon, (List Price: $28, Scribner, 9781668020821, August 2026)
Reviewed by Mackenzie, Thank You Books in Birmingham, AL