The Sojourn

The Sojourn (2011) by Andrew Krivak. Young Jozef Vinich leaves the United States early in the 20th Century to travel with his father back to their ancestral homeland in Austria-Hungary. Jozef comes of age at just the wrong time and is conscripted to fight in World War I, where his good marksmanship causes him to be used as a sniper. He has many adventures, both during the war and after it ends, and these adventures constitute his sojourn -- the time he spends in Europe after leaving America and before returning. Although the novel starts slowly, it soon becomes riveting, and makes up an unforgettable story of one young man's journey through Europe in the era of World War I. Although Krivak could not have actually been there, his book has the ring of authenticity. Grade: A-