Wounded Hinge

Set against the sweeping Nebraska prairie and the blood-soaked battlefields of WWI, this luminous debut novel weaves together cosmic forces and human resilience in a deeply personal tale of redemption. When fourteen-year-old Jacob's reckless dare shatters his sister's foot against an unseen object buried in sand, their lives fracture along with her bones. Consumed by guilt, Jacob flees to war, losing his leg in the trenches of France—only to discover profound purpose in an enemy soldier's act of mercy and ancient parchments that crash through a cathedral ceiling. Daniel Jones crafts a masterful narrative spanning celestial time and intimate family bonds, where a blacksmith's wisdom about hinges becomes a metaphor for human connection and healing. As Jacob and Maj transform their wounds into revolutionary prosthetic designs, they uncover truths about forgiveness, sacrifice, and the unseen forces that guide human destiny. From an Underground Railroad hideaway to a World War 1 field hospital, from medieval manuscripts to modern invention, this richly layered story reveals how our deepest injuries can become pathways to extraordinary grace. Part historical fiction, part philosophical meditation, part love letter to the American heartland, The Wounded Hinge announces a remarkable new voice in literary fiction. This is storytelling at its most profound—luminous, heartbreaking, and ultimately triumphant.