Book Review: "Etna" by Paul Yoon

“‘You found your purpose,’ the dog said. I thought about how to answer that. I said, ‘I learned to be good at it.’”

Etna may be a short book but it’s definitely one that left an impression. I found it moving and thought-provoking, a commentary on the cost of war to humans and animals. It’s a particularly timely book given the circumstances of our world at those point in time.

A puppy is taken from the farm where he lived, from his mother and siblings. He is taken by a military doctor, who names him Etna. She has the rare gift of being able to communicate with dogs.

Etna becomes a military dog, trained by soldiers during a devastating war in a fictional country. His companion is Fuji, a dog who was taken at the same time as he was. She is even fiercer and braver than Etna, until one day she runs away, never to be seen again.

When the war ends, it leaves destruction and grief in its wake. With nothing left to do, Etna decides to try and find the farm from where he was originally taken. He knows his family hasn’t survived but he still wonders if it’ll feel like home, remind him of his younger days. He sets off on a journey filled with interesting and sometimes frightening encounters, as well as with people who aren’t sure what to make of their lives now.

I’m definitely a dog person, and I could picture Etna on his journey. I was really worried about animals being harmed or hurt during the war, but Paul Yoon doesn’t spend a lot of time dwelling on that. I was really touched by Etna’s courage and his kind nature. We definitely don’t deserve dogs.