Etna

A Novel

By: Paul Yoon

Narrated by: Shrader Thomas

The best-reviewed book of the summer by The New York Times, Time, NPR, and more, Etna is a “devastating and gorgeous” (The New York Times Book Review), “hypnotic” (Time) literary novel that follows an ex-military dog who leaves the soldiers he once served and sets out on an odyssey across a war-torn country in search of home, hope, and a life beyond conflict—this is a novel about the power of an idea, about never giving up, and ultimately an “epic journey of hope” (Booklist, starred review) that finds light in the most dire of times.

"No dog lover should miss this." —People
"Don't let the book's length mislead you…Etna's odyssey deserves the epithet 'epic.'" —NPR, Best of August

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 for years 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, even in peacetime, proves to be just as precarious. Along the way, he encounters other animals and humans who are attempting to figure out how to start 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 profound loss?

This is a novel about the power of an idea, about never giving up, and ultimately a novel about finding hope in the most dire of times.

Critic reviews

"Many listeners will surrender to Etna’s singular voice and be drawn into his canine perspective."

"Assuming the voice of a dog might be a challenge for some narrators, but it’s one that Shrader Thomas takes on with ease and authority. Etna is a soldier dog, brave, smart, and resourceful, a protagonist whose determined goal is to find his way back to his original home. That place lies somewhere across a fragmented, war-torn landscape. Much of the where, how, and what is uncertain, limited to a dog’s understanding. The brisk, bleak narrative is brief, hardly more than a short story, but it’s tense and effectively told."

I cried

I'm a dog person. Dogs are the best. I had just finished listening to the third section (there are four), when I encountered my dog. I felt the emotion welling up, as I stroked her, and wished I had Soojin's gift so I could tell her how much I love her. She probably knows. In any case, to the specifics. This novel (novella?) is short. The story is told from a dog's point of view, and some of the funniest (yes, it is funny) parts are Etna's attention to details that might be missed by a human. I could see Etna's world through her eyes, a testament to the author's ability. The narration is suitably restrained, in keeping with Etna's generally calm demeanor. I heartedly recommend this audiobook.

The personality of Etna

I love dogs so I loved this book and all the people and animals he met

Heartbreaking but Hopeful Ending

This was a beautifully written and narrated story. The devastation and senseless violence of war through the eyes of a soldier dog. I don’t think I could’ve finished this book if it were any longer. There was not a moment that was not heartbreaking except at the very end. A must read/listen for anyone that has never seen war first hand.

Hauntingly Beautiful

Unforgettable and gripping… a reall stunner! Easy to read in one sitting, absolutely unforgettable. Wonderful narrator, wonderful author,
Profoundly moving. Highly recommended.

Astonishing - riveting - evanescent.

A novel both transcendental and agonizing. A voice so plainly yet insightfully spoken - as only a pure-hearted dog could do. The writing is spare yet lyrical. An economy of motion in words. Emotional depth, seamless flow of story, ultimate resolution after so many turns. In the end, the impact and loss of human conflict, the ripping away of places and beings we love somehow evolves into a survival worth living for - a spirit that embraces meaning and life and home: one's own Pack.