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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Good historical fiction! Loved the characters! Had some depth!
News of the World” is a title that does not seem to fit the story. Book provides insight into early American days and how they received current news. The characters were very well developed and sympathetic. It is an interesting and excellent story well worth reading.
incredible historical research
A twist on the post civil war Texas frontier. A child captured by Native Americans and returned to a world she doesn’t know.
Excellent read. Interesting historically and heartwarming characters.
Captain Kidd is the kind of hero all of us long for.
NEWS OF THE WORLD is not the type of book I usually read so when my book club selected it I wasn’t tremendously excited. I decided to dive right in and “get it over with.”
Was I ever wrong! NEWS OF THE WORLD is an extraordinarily well-told story. Captivated and engaged, I found myself cheering for the “Kep-dun” and “Chohenna.”
I will make a point of seeking out other Paulette Jiles books to read.
I found that the 10 year old indian girl was going through is what many in our society have to live with, that is, multiple cultures and now really belonging to any.
If you’re in the mood for a sweet thoughtful book. This one is for you. It is a story set on the western frontier of Texas well after the Civil War. The government is demanding Indians return white captives to their white families. The main character gets talked into returning a young girl to her relatives. The story is about the journey of these two individuals and their adventures along the way. It centers on their changing relationship and also gives the reader a feel for the changing times and rough country and people of Texas. This book is a solid read. I highly recommend it.
This is a great story about a relationship that develops between an old soldier and a VERY resilient ten-year girl who has witnessed the murder of her family, been adopted by a Kiowa family and then forcibly taken from that family to be united with relatives. I found this story very engaging, both heart breaking and reaffirming.
I loved this wonderful book about an aging man who earns his living as an itinerant reader of newspaper stories to backwoods people in 19th-century Texas. It concerns his relationship with a little girl who has been rescued from her Indian captors. The book chronicles the gradual warming of the two toward each other and ends on a note of triumph.
I loved this book completely and totally–so much so that I read it twice!
I just started the book and it’s a grabber the kind of book you don’t want to put down. The writing easily flows chapter by chapter. It’s historical to but most important to me is that I find myself in the story like I am an active observer
Takes place in Texas and was very accurate in character and geographic scenery. Story line Based on. True stories loved main charActers and was happily surprised
By the ending
Interesting historical fiction. Good character development, fascinating story of trust. Setting in Texas post Civil War era.
Loved it. reminded me of True Grit but more from a womans perspective
The history of 19th Century Texas comes alive in this book. The characters are endearing, the setting is quite grand and the plot carries the reader back to a time of wild and woolly lawlessness. My only quarrel with the book is the lack of quotation marks, which made the book much harder to read than it should have been.
This is a wonderful book. The author is masterful in her use of language. The depth of her research is evident throughout.
I really enjoyed this book.
Very good book, with great character development. Will be interested in what my fellow book club members have to say about it.