Jonathan's Journal

"Jonathan's Journal" hops back and forth between WWI-era Mesopotamia and India and present-day California, where the journal's contemporary owner mines for meaning in what appears to be a dry military travelogue.

There's more than meets the eye here, though. The story is embellished with pop-ins from the journal's original writer as he invisibly works to set the story straight. Equally pleasant is the sweet and awkward friendship that develops between historian Jonathan and the research librarian he engages to assist him.

The changes in point of view required me to stop frequently to get my bearings, but the puzzle pieces do fit together in an engaging and enjoyable way.

Thank you LibraryThing, LaPuerta, and Mr. Jones for a signed arc of this wonderful novel! "Jonathan's Journal", by Gerald Everett Jones, is the first novel that I have read by this extraordinary author. Mr. Jones did a truly amazing job of creating a novel that transcends time, from "Fred's" World War I adventures to Jonathan's current day narratives.
Jonathan discovers a World War I diary in his deceased mother's possessions. He does not have the soldier's name; however, he does have his initials, which oddly enough are the same as his. What starts out as idle interest, quickly spirals into a fixation that nearly takes over his life. With the assistance of Elena, the local librarian, Jonathan's research moves along, and some of his show more many questions are answered. What remains to be discovered: Is he actually related to "Fred"? Will some of "Fred's" history be revealed? Will he learn more about Elena, the woman he has become attracted to who holds secrets of her own?
Mr. Jones was able to take what could have been a daunting task, and created a well-researched, well written novel that keeps the reader engaged from the first page to the last.
I'm looking forward to reading Mr. Jones' past and future novels! show less