“Poignant...a story on the importance of storytelling itself, as a way to resist cruelty and recognize hope." —Chicago Tribune

"Simply put, I've never read a book like this. Yoon's novel is concise and unique and just sticks with you after reading." —Scary Mommy

“Paul Yoon’s stories and novels reveal an author of uncommon generosity and grace. Much of his fiction takes place during, after, or—perhaps most accurately—between wars, and Yoon renders both the brutality and the beauty of the human experience with remarkable clarity. As if igniting a simple chunk of carbon, Yoon employs an economy of language to transform a common sight carefully observed—a reflection breaking apart in troubled water, a dog raising its head to meet a kind hand—into a lucid vision of life…We cannot evaluate how accurately Yoon renders a dog’s interior life, but thankfully the rigors of realism do not always apply. With Etna, Paul Yoon delivers a nonhuman voice that reminds us we only share this world, and so much of it exists beyond our understanding.” —Ben Samuels, BOMB Magazine

 

“Magnificent… an epic journey of hope… Yoon crafts yet another literary miracle, gorgeous in spare prose and dense with wrenching empathy on pages that may become saturated with tears. Amid today’s exhausted desensitization, Yoon gives readers an antidote of pure emotion.”—Booklist, Starred Review

"Thrilling...A propulsive narrative of unrelenting sadness may sound oxymoronic, but that's the conjurer's trick Yoon pulls off. The ability to return home after tragic events sometimes requires a redefinition of home, as Etna and his compatriots discover in this elegant work." —Shelf Awareness, starred review

“Yoon’s story of a military working dog attempting a treacherous journey home in the aftermath of an unnamed war rarely moves in expected ways…Yoon’s fabulist shading situates the story at a nexus of grim reality and hopeful fairy tale, enlivening and devastating readers in equal measure as they watch Etna reckon with the all-too-human conclusion that one can’t go home again. Yoon sidesteps the schmaltz of so many animal stories and delivers something far richer in emotion and conviction.” —Library Journal, Starred Review

“Yoon’s Homeric parable punches above its weight, minimalism deftly crafted for maximalist impact.”—Boston Globe, “Best Books of the Summer”

"A combat-trained dog sets out for home after a war in this magnificent novel... Not only does Yoon pull off a fresh take on well-worn Homeric themes and convincingly capture a dog’s perspective, but he offers subtle and stirring insights on the nature of faith, which might not always provide salvation but can be enough to keep people (and dogs) going. The author has outdone himself." —Publishers Weekly, Starred Review

 "[A] spare, hypnotic novel... In the tradition of George Orwell’s Animal Farm, Yoon’s parable limns the politics of destruction and the emotional wisdom of man’s best friend." —TIME Magazine “The 36 Most Anticipated Books of 2026”

If Homeward Bound and Au hasard Balthazar had a baby, it would be Etna. Yoon’s latest work is told through the eyes of an ex-military dog who decides to return home after years of war. On his journey, Etna revisits the places he worked during the war and finds them changed. He meets people and animals struggling to readjust after brutal battles upended their lives, and learns the complexities of life during “peacetime.” But Yoon’s novel offers more reasons for hope than despair as it asks challenging questions about loss, trust, and, of course, home." —Literary Hub, "Lit Hub’s Most Anticipated Books of 2026"

“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