“Meticulously researched and beautifully crafted…. This is glorious work.” — Washington Post
“A gripping, deeply relevant book.” — New York Times Book Review
From Paulette Jiles, author of the critically acclaimed New York Times bestsellers Enemy Women and Stormy Weather, comes a stirring work of fiction set on the untamed Texas frontier in the aftermath of the Civil War. One of only twelve … frontier in the aftermath of the Civil War. One of only twelve books longlisted for the 2009 Scotiabank Giller Prize—one of Canada’s most prestigious literary awards—The Color of Lightning is a beautifully rendered and unforgettable re-examination of one of the darkest periods in U.S. history.
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Stopped reading this book 10 pages in. Didn’t care for the judgmental tone, characters were only one dimensional and didn’t appeal at all.
Interesting look at the life of a freedman living in Texas after the Civil War.
Beautifully written with settings that stay with you long after. My only complaint is that the middle seemed to be ‘filling’ the story and dragged a bit to the conclusion.
A VERY ENJOYABLE READ AND A TRUE STORY.
It just struck me right!
authentic story telling with believable characters. The story takes place near the Texas/Oklahoma border post Civil War during settlement and Indian wars. Beautiful writing.
Tragedy on both sides–settlers and Indians alike.
Full of memorable characters and suspenseful incidents.
DNF … too violent and gory for me. Over the top.
Jiles story telling almost sparse yet vivid, her world building so strong she had me searching maps to locate and trace the travels of Britt, the Kiowa, the Comanche.
The harrowing experiences of the captives, the harsh life of the Indians heartbreaking and mesmerizing with this masterpiece. The bumbling efforts of the government and sometimes …
I was not sure I wanted to read this book at first, however when I determined that this was based on a true story that took place in NorthTexas in the post Civil War years, I knew I had to read it. The story points out the importance of the early settlers working together for socialization, the dangers encountered, the life changing injuries that …
Although this book is a sequel to News of the World it is also a good stand alone read. I am not a fan of tales of the Wild West, but this story drew me in as did News of the World. It’s link to real history, real people and true occurrences held my interest throughout the book and I ended up loving it.
Jiles has brilliantly captured a sense of time and place in the 1870s Southwest. Any Texan, any Oklahoman would recognize the physical landscape, and they would come to recognize the social landscape that has brought us to today. Furthermore, she presents an unforgettable historic saga of a man who risks all against tremendous odds to rescue his …
Historically correct depiction of the early years of conflict between whites and Indians in Texas and the free blacks trying to make new lives after slavery. Very engaging characters.
best book Ive read in a long time. gritty. down to earth. A seemingly balanced view of the struggles of the Comanche Indians and the early Texans.
I read this book because I thoroughly enjoyed Jiles’s earlier story of frontier Texas. This describes a time very near to that of my grandmother’s early life. What a different world it was then. The author brings to life a little known, but engaging true story.
This was too gruesome for me. Maybe it didn’t help because I had finished another gruesome book not long before. Be prepared. I chose this book because I loved her book News of the World. This did not have the same lighthearted portions.
Very well written. I did not realize qhen I was reading it that it is based on actual characters and events. An interesting subject which I had not read about. Highly recommend.
Learned a lot about the Indians and west in 1870. Well written
This book was a disgusting pack of lies about Indians raping those women. It’s sounds more like what the white men did to the Indian women. Yeah the Indians did resist their lands being taken over and did kill and fight. But they were not women rapers!!