Etna

by Paul Yoon

Beloved author and winner of The Story Prize, Paul Yoon, is back with the unforgettable story of a working dog, Etna, who, after a devastating war, embarks on an odyssey in the hopes of returning home.

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.

Genres: Fiction

208 pages, Hardcover

Expected publication August 4, 2026

About the author

Paul Yoon was born in New York City. His first book, ONCE THE SHORE, was selected as a New York Times Notable Book and a Best Debut of the Year by National Public Radio. His novel, SNOW HUNTERS, won the 2014 Young Lions Fiction Award.

A recipient of a 5 under 35 Award from the National Book Foundation and a fellowship from the New York Public Library’s Cullman Center for Scholars and Writers, he is currently a Briggs-Copeland Lecturer at Harvard University along with his wife, the fiction writer Laura van den Berg.

Reviews

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

"As time went on, the more hurt she was, the more she wanted to hurt.

And the blue in her eyes grew less blue, and I could never explain that."

At the outset, I didn't think this book would work for me as well as Yoon's previous novels have. A war/post-war story from the point of view of a dog? But then I get to passages like the one above and I'm reminded of what I adore about Paul Yoon--his ability, in a few words, to convey a world of feeling.

[Kim van Alkemade · Rating 5 out of 5]

This intimate and lyrical novel brings readers into the embodied consciousness of Etna, a war dog as desperate to return home to the seaside farm where he was born as Odysseus was to get back to Ithaca. Through encounters with humans and animals alike, Etna uses his military training to protect those he comes to love while regaining the open heart of a loving animal. A gorgeous read that will stay in my mind for years to come.

[abby · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was able to read an Advanced Reader Copy via my local independent bookstore.

I wasn't sure what to expect when I started reading, but by the end, this book left me in tears in the best way possible. While the book tells the story of Etna trying to find his way home, his journey leads you on a path of discovery along the way. When you live through such harsh things like war and trauma, is peace something you can find again? How do you deal with loss, with making friends again, with living life? This story gently guides you into what some of those answers can look like, while threading through some absolutely beautiful quotes and moments.

This book is one I'll absolutely be buying a copy of when it's published and I cannot wait!

This might be a little bit of a spoiler and thus the tags, but this one quote will be sticking with me for a while. (Also, I fully realize that since this is an ARC, the final quote might change.)

"Don't be so hard on yourself, she says. You're here. You're breathing. You arrived and you survived."

[Abby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Etna follows our title character, who happens to be a military-trained dog, as he journeys through a war-torn landscape to get back to the place in which he was born. Imagine the Odyssey as told through the eyes of a dog. This book packed a powerful punch with a large scope in a small amount of pages, and I was enthralled from beginning to end. I especially appreciated the backdrop of the war, Yoon keeps many of the details of what exactly has happened in the world ambiguous, much like it would be for our furry friends, and that made the book that much more impactful. The cast of characters that Etna runs into along the way were heartfelt and realized, I simply could not put it down. The ending felt a bit rushed, however, I would have liked to spend a bit more time exploring the Mountains before making it to the final section of the book. Otherwise, this was a wonderful, if sad, book that will stick with me for a long time. Thank you NetGalley for the advance copy!

[James B · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to Netgalley and Scribner for the ebook. This is a lovely novel about a harrowing subject, the story of a military dog, Etna, serving during a war. Etna is basically a puppy when he is taken from his family on the farm by the sea that was his home. We get glimpses of his training and a bit more of the war itself, but after four years of conflict and the declared peace, Etna decides to make the long trek home. The story really comes alive with the dogs and humans that help him on his various adventures.