
News of the World
by Paulette Jiles |
![]() |
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
From The Jacket:
Harper Collins | 10/04/16 | ISBN 10: 0062409204 | 224 Pages It is 1870 and Captain Jefferson Kyle Kidd travels through northern Texas, giving live readings to paying audiences hungry for news of the world. An elderly widower who has lived through three wars and fought in two of them, the captain enjoys his rootless, solitary existence. In Wichita Falls, he is offered a $50 gold piece to deliver a young orphan to her relatives in San Antonio. Four years earlier, a band of Kiowa raiders killed Johanna's parents and sister; sparing the little girl, they raised her as one of their own. Recently rescued by the U.S. army, the ten-year-old has once again been torn away from the only home she knows. Their 400-mile journey south through unsettled territory and unforgiving terrain proves difficult and at times dangerous. Johanna has forgotten the English language, tries to escape at every opportunity, throws away her shoes, and refuses to act "civilized." Yet as the miles pass, the two lonely survivors tentatively begin to trust each other, forging a bond that marks the difference between life and death in this treacherous land. Arriving in San Antonio, the reunion is neither happy nor welcome. The captain must hand Johanna over to an aunt and uncle she does not remember-strangers who regard her as an unwanted burden. A respectable man, Captain Kidd is faced with a terrible choice: abandon the girl to her fate or become-in the eyes of the law-a kidnapper himself. Exquisitely rendered and morally complex, News of the World is a brilliant work of historical fiction that explores the boundaries of family, responsibility, honor, and trust. |
![]() | |
![]() |
Recent Book Reviews |
![]() Take My Hand
By Dolen Perkins-Valdez
I learned a lot from this book. I know racial injustices exist, and the Government oversteps boundaries, mostly with minority groups, especially Blacks. But each time I learn of yet another instance of governmental ...More
|
![]() |
![]() Goodnight Beautiful
By Aimee MolloyThis book kept me guessing, and I loved it! It's an easy, satisfying read you won't want to put down. Suddenly, Sam goes missing, and everything begins to unravel. There were several twists and turns ... More
|
![]() |
![]() The Midnight Library
By Matt Haig
I would love to find a magical library that lets me explore the what-ifs of life. In fact, I think this was my favorite part of the book. Who doesn't have a regret or two, or wonder how life would be with different choices? ...More
|
![]() |
![]() West With Giraffes
By Lynda RutledgeBased on an actual event, West with Giraffes is an endearing story about transporting two young giraffes across the country in 1938. 17-year-old Woody, a dust bowl orphan, finds his way to NY during ...More
|
![]() |
|
| ||
![]() | ||
![]() | ||