Joshua Max Feldman makes his literary debut with The Book of Jonah, a modern-day retelling of the biblical story. Jonah Jacobstein is a lawyer in Manhattan. He’s beginning a major project that could make him partner and looking at apartments to buy with his girlfriend, Sylvia. But something isn’t quite right. He starts to have hallucinations; he sees things that don’t make sense and becomes concerned about the cause of these strange sensations.
The Book of Jonah is not a “cute” retelling of the biblical story. It’s not allegorical but rather a true modernization of what Jonah might have experienced at the time. He would not have known what was going on. He would have been confused. Feldman’s book includes some strong language, which those sensitive to such writing should take into consideration. But the dialogue and descriptive nature of the writing is tight and strong, bringing the reader deep into the psyches of all of the characters involved. (Henry Holt)
About the Author
Kate Padilla is a staff writer at the Spencer Daily Reporter in Spencer, Iowa, where she is a member of Hope Church.
