News of the World

First off I have to say I loved Captain Kidd, the main character in this book. He is warm and compassionate, and lives by a set of stands that are enviable. He is in his 70s widowed and has two grown daughters. In his mind he is ready to slow down and enjoy his life. That is, until he is asked to escort Johanna, a 10 year old girl 400 miles back to her family.

It sounds simple enough, except he is travelling across Texas in the year 1870 and Johanna is anything but easy; she is wild, untamed and well versed in the ways of the Indian tribe she lived with. She was orphaned at the age of six when the Kiowa Indians murdered her family and kidnapped her, and she is not happy about being returned to her relatives. At first, Captain Kidd comes off as gruff and grumpy, but the relationship that grows between him and Johanna is beautiful and shows his true benevolent nature.

I loved how he found a way to communicate with her and worked to gain her trust. I can't say enough about this kind gentle man. To earn money, after losing his printing press, he travels from town to town, reading newspapers articles to people for a dime. I was fascinated by this concept and also loved reading about this tumultuous period in the history of Texas. Recommend. A great book for book clubs.