“The storytelling, infused with energy throughout, gathers momentum and culminates in an enigmatic, unexpected ending … Worth applauding.”
—Carmela Ciuraru, New York Times
“A universal, timeless tale of loss and the longing for meaning.”
—Sara Nelson, Editorial Director, Amazon.com; named Featured Debut, Best Books of February, 2014
“THE BOOK OF JONAH is a debut that heralds great promise. With shrewd allusion, finely wrought characters and a pulsing, page-turning narrative, Feldman works new and inventive wonders from an ancient template.”
—Malcolm Forbes, Minneapolis Star Tribune
“A beautifully fulfilled debut novel … Feldman chronicles Jonah’s and Judith’s transitions with exceptional art and skill, and often with great humor … A genuine page-turner.”
—Earl Pike, Cleveland Plain Dealer
“An enticing debut novel.”
—Publisher’s Weekly
“It is rare that a novel juxtaposes the contemporary world and the biblical one in such dramatic fashion. THE BOOK OF JONAH is a compelling read, a clever deconstruction of modern life as reflected in an ancient and timeless lens.”
—Abraham Verghese, author of CUTTING FOR STONE
“The text of the biblical Book of Jonah is minimal, and its God and its Jonah are ciphers, and their motives enigmatic, but the Jonah of Joshua Feldman’s novel is fully realized, a New York corporate lawyer making recognizable compromises until, brushed by the divine, his world dissolves. This absorbing novel gives form to an opaque and ancient story while retaining that story’s mystery.”
—Zachary Mason, author of THE LOST BOOKS OF THE ODYSSEY
“A beguiling first novel … Feldman is a tremendously endearing writer. His satire lacks that astringent bitterness that can make some witty novels seem heartless. And his willingness to pose the big questions to the whirlwind makes for unusually thoughtful reading.”
—Ron Charles, Washington Post
“An entertaining and thought-provoking debut.”
—Adam Kirsch, Tablet Magazine
“Deft and entertaining … What a sweet tale this is. While Feldman’s prose is assured and sophisticated, the story is one of the oldest. And, in this telling, is worthy of repeating.”
—Sherryl Connelly, New York Daily News
“Tremendously entertaining … The book succeeds because Feldman is a master of plot and pacing with a preternatural gift for keeping the reader hooked.”
—Fernanda Moore, Commentary
“Audacious … There’s something about a master narrative that crushes cliché to a powder with its looming, mystical weight, and taking the long view, Feldman is doing some deft meta-investigation of the Jewish novel.”
—Naomi Skwarna, The Globe and Mail of Canada
“Feldman’s expansive tale offers an invigorating, timeless exploration of existential crises within a contemporary world.”
—Booklist
“Feldman is clever in his use of the Jonah story, and his novel is of the same strange and enigmatic quality as the original.”
—Kirkus
“Excellent.”
—Shelf Awareness
“Joshua Feldman offers a shrewd, humorous, and entertainingly modern twist on the Old Testament prophet. He’s written a bold and very funny book.”
—Sarah Shun-lien Bynum, author of National Book Award finalist MADELEINE IS SLEEPING
