Soon to be a Major Motion Picture
National Book Award Finalist—Fiction
In the aftermath of the Civil War, an aging itinerant news reader agrees to transport a young captive of the Kiowa back to her people in this exquisitely rendered, morally complex, multilayered novel of historical fiction from the author of Enemy Women that explores the boundaries of family, responsibility, honor, and trust.… the boundaries of family, responsibility, honor, and trust.
In the wake of the Civil War, Captain Jefferson Kyle Kidd travels through northern Texas, giving live readings from newspapers 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, forming 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.
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Great book. Very well written and interesting. I recommend it all the time.
A wonderfully unique venue for storytelling, refreshing and historical at the same time.
I gave everyone on my Christmas list a copy of this book. It was that good.
This has become one my of favorite of all times books I’ve had the pleasure to read and read again. Captain JeffersonKyle Kidd is the best male character I have ever encountered.
I have recommended this book to many other book-reading friends and enthusiast and they are of the same mind. I would give it 6****** if I could!
Paulette Jiles is a master. Read all her books!
Best book I have read tecently
An easy read but such a wonderful story.
Interesting well-written
This book opened up a whole world that I never considered..the expanse of the west, the thirst for connection to the outside world, what it took to survive. On top of this the story of a child brutally taken, returned to mean relatives and then free of them… I don’t want to give away more but can say this book is a very good read.
Such a wonderful hero! Captain Jefferson Kidd is 71 years old and an intelligent and courageous guardian to a 10 year old girl recovered from the Kiowa Indians. He travels through difficult terrain, floods, raiding Indians and the occasional marauding band of rootless men to return her to family she doesn’t remember. Looking forward to seeing Tom Hanks in this role!
Loved it and introduced it to my book club. I’ve always enjoyed Jiles books as she really gets into her characters.
As always, I am thrilled with Paulette Jiles latest novel. Set in 1870+, this is the tale of an elderly ex-printer, traveling from place to place, hiring a hall and reading newspapers from all over the world to small town folks in northern and western Texas for ten cents a head. While traveling near the Red, he is approached by a freighter of his acquaintance, who talks him into returning a 10 year old girl, rescued after 4 years held captive with the Kiowa. Captain Kidd promises to do so, but some things are easier said than done. Johannah Leonberger – Cicada is her Kiowa name – has an Aunt and Uncle in Castroville, just outside of San Antonio and several hundred miles from the Wichita Falls, through several areas of hostile indians and even more hostile Texans.
This is a story of love and need, and what makes a family. It is a book I will want to read again.
good Historical fiction!
I read this book for my book club discussion. It is a beautifully told story of a young girl and an older man. Johanna had been kidnapped by the Kiowa at age 6. At age 10; she was rescued and given to Captain Kidd to return to her aunt and uncle. Captain Kidd makes a living reading newspaper articles from around the world in small towns. So their journey begins. Their journey across Texas involved so much more than travel. It involved the journey of the young girl discovering her way back into a different culture. It was the journey of two people coming to trust and care for each other. It was a journey to find safety. It was a journey to find family.
While I loved this story, I will admit the writing style was a little challenging to read. Dialogue was written without traditional punctuation, so at times it was hard to know if the words were spoken or just thought by the characters. But, once I got used to it, it stopped hindering the flow of the story.
This is definitely a book I will recommend to others!
Loved it!
One of the best books I’ve ever enjoyed.
Beginning or part 1, difficult to get through, but parts two and three as packed and definitely worth the read! Entertaining!
this book was great
A great western story with wonderful characters and a charming protaganist. An easy read that you cannot wait to get to the end. Have read twice over the years.
Paulette Jiles tells a story that, in part, has lived in all of our imaginations. Visit another time and place and understand then is not now.