"...how quickly everything changes, whether because of a decision you make or the decisions made by others, or just because of chance, and in a moment the entire path of your life, everything you knew and everything you will ever know, is altered" (102"
The Book of Jonas is Stephen Dau's debut novel a powerful story of a young boy who survives an American military attack on his village in an unnamed Muslim country.
The man character Jonas, is rescued and eventually comes to the United States as a refuge. The beautifully written narrative takes us back and forth through the events of Jonas' life.
Moments with his family in his village, times during and after attacks, the early years in America, college, counseling. Jonas struggles to deal with his past, and is hesitate to speak of the events that leave him scarred both physically and emotionally.
In the United States his path crosses with Rose Henderson the mother of the American solider who was there during the attack on his village.
The book is a powerful testimony about the realities of war and the realities of those on all sides of military. It takes a little bit of time to get used to the style of writing used by Stephen Dau.
The movement of the book is jumpy. Moving perspectives, years, times, and places. However, if you allow yourself to go with it, you'll be transported into the lives and the pain of the characters of this story as they all try to find peace within themselves for the war which intermingled the lives of 3 strangers.
I can't recommend this book enough. It's powerful, beautifully and uniquely written, a book and a story that will stay with you days after finishing the book.
I look forward to future works by Stephen Dau, an amazing first novel.
Read this book immediately and then join the conversation at blogher here
Notice: This is a paid review. I was gifted a copy of the book and receive monetary compensation. However the opinions expressed above are my own.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment