The Book Of Jonas

I just got finished reading The Book Of Jonas by Stephen Dau. Reading this book I would have never guessed this to be his first novel.  This book is so well written, Stephen comes across as a seasoned veteran writer.  The setting of this story starts out in the Middle East where a teenage boy loses everything during a raid on his small village, but quickly turns to the U.S. where the very government and their military that destroyed his life try to help him build a new one in America.  It's a heart wrenching story not only of the boy Jonas, but also the American soldier named Christopher, that saved his life.  Two enemies who escape the horrors of the raid, they hide and heal together in the mountains near the village that was destroyed.  In a blur Jonas finds himself in a new country with a new identity living with a foster family.  Between the bullying he endures at school and the haunting memories of the sights and sounds he witnessed from his homeland, Jonas lands in the care of Paul, a devoted and patient Mental Health specialist .  Resisting Paul's help, Jonas tries to bury the past and heads down a self destructible path that leads him to Christopher's mother Rose and his realization that the truth will set him free. The Book Of Jonas touches your heart as it walks you through some of the horrors of war and the people it leaves in it's wake.  It will leave you with goose bumps more than once!

Disclosure - This is a paid review by BlogHer Book Club but the opinions expressed are my own.