News of the World in Retro Chapter Chicks

Oct 29, 2016 Brina rated it really liked it

Shelves: historical-fiction

It is 1870. Reconstruction era Texas is governed by a combination of outlaws and bandits and bordered on by Native Americans. Enter Captain Jefferson Kyle Kidd. A veteran of three wars, he uses both his position as a war hero and Texas' isolation from the rest of the country to travel around the state giving readings of the News of the World. Such commences Paulette Jiles short yet poignant novel.

While giving one of his readings in Witchita Falls, Kidd encounters Britt Johnson, a freed slave. J It is 1870. Reconstruction era Texas is governed by a combination of outlaws and bandits and bordered on by Native Americans. Enter Captain Jefferson Kyle Kidd. A veteran of three wars, he uses both his position as a war hero and Texas' isolation from the rest of the country to travel around the state giving readings of the News of the World. Such commences Paulette Jiles short yet poignant novel.

While giving one of his readings in Witchita Falls, Kidd encounters Britt Johnson, a freed slave. Johnson has with him ten-year-old Johanna Leonberger who had been held captive by the Kiowa tribe for the past four years. The puppet government issued a fifty silver piece for whoever returns her to her family near San Antonio. Johnson suggests Kidd because he is familiar with terrain and because he raised daughters. Although content as a widower, Kidd could use the money and after little deliberation agrees to transport Johanna home.

Johanna, however, believes she is a Kiowa. Having lived with them for the past four years, she has adopted their way of life and forgotten the English and German she was raised with. On their journey, Kidd is entrusted with teaching Johanna how to live like a proper white girl all over again. It is through these interactions and traveling in close quarters in a covered wagon that their relationship grows. Johanna little by little learns to trust Kidd, earning him the title of Kontah (grandfather). Over the course of their trip, she even attempts to speak a rudimentary English.

Jiles is a new author for me, but in this novel she has reminded me why I love historical fiction. She has taken a little talked about time period- post reconstruction Texas- and created memorable characters within that framework who I will think about for awhile. Additionally, through Kidd's readings and their encounters on the road, we are given the important news stories of the time, allowing this story to contain a larger historical framework.

Although Jiles may be a new author for me, she has written other novels and a memoir, mainly about post Civil War Texas. News of the World has been short listed for the National Book Award and is deserving of the honor. I have read many powerful novels which came out this year, and News of the World is in the upper echelon. A powerful story with memorable characters, I highly recommend this novel to those looking for a good story. ...more

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Jan 05, 2017 Candi rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites, historical-fiction, kindle-book-i-own

"He had the appearance of wisdom and age and authority, which was why his readings were popular and the reason the dimes rang into his coffee can. When they read his handbills men abandoned the saloon, they slipped out of various unnamed establishments, they ran through the rain from their firelit homes, they left the cattle circled and bedded beside the flooding Red to come and hear the news of the distant world."

Seasoned war veteran Captain Jefferson Kidd traverses post-Civil War north Texas "He had the appearance of wisdom and age and authority, which was why his readings were popular and the reason the dimes rang into his coffee can. When they read his handbills men abandoned the saloon, they slipped out of various unnamed establishments, they ran through the rain from their firelit homes, they left the cattle circled and bedded beside the flooding Red to come and hear the news of the distant world."

Seasoned war veteran Captain Jefferson Kidd traverses post-Civil War north Texas reading the news to a people eager for communication with a world from which they seem so far removed. 1870s Texas is a land of outlaws, tribal warfare and governmental instability. Once a spirited husband, father and contented owner of a printing press, Captain Kidd is lately feeling a bit dissatisfied with life perhaps. "A slow dullness had seeped into him like coal gas and he did not know what to do about it except seek out quiet and solitude." All that changes when he is given a $50 gold piece in exchange for returning a Kiowa captive to her San Antonio relatives.

Life becomes anything but peaceful and solitary as Captain Kidd begins a 400-mile journey through Texas with Johanna, his ten-year-old charge. This will be no easy task as Johanna, who was orphaned and kidnapped by the Kiowa at the age of six, remembers nothing of her former family, her language or her culture. She is now wholly Kiowa. My heart ached for this little girl who had been torn from those she considered family not just once, but now twice in her short lifetime. She yearns to return to her people, the Kiowa. She cares not at all for the white man’s world. "She was shouting for her mother, for her father and her sisters and brothers, for the life on the Plains, traveling wherever the buffalo took them, she was calling for her people who followed water, lived with every contingency, were brave in the face of enemies, who could go without food or water or money or shoes or hats and did not care that they had neither mattresses nor chairs nor oil lamps."

Not one to shirk responsibility, despite any misgivings he may have, Captain Kidd meets the challenge head-on and what follows is a journey that will make you laugh and cry, and will set you on the edge of your seat with apprehension for the dangers these two may encounter along the way. We learn so much about the Captain as he muses on his life as a soldier, as a husband, and as a father to his now-grown daughters. I admired this man as he tried to overcome the language barrier and develop his own special communication with Johanna. Their interactions with one another are so very touching. Johanna will need to place her trust in this man who is now all that she has in this world as she travels through this treacherous landscape without the protection of her tribe. Much is revealed about the truly honorable character of the Captain as we read about his interactions with the various people he meets along the way and as he continues to deliver the news in order to earn a dime-a-head.

News of the World is historical fiction at its finest. Learning about the condition of Texas after the Civil War and getting a glimpse of the world at large through the Captain’s readings are just two reasons why I enjoyed this so much. I loved this book for the excellent storytelling ability of Paulette Jiles, for the sense of adventure, for the feisty spirit of Johanna, and most of all for the truly memorable and endearing Captain Kidd. I highly recommend this one!

"Maybe we just have one message, and it is delivered to us when we are born and we are never sure what it says; it may have nothing to do with us personally but it must be carried by hand through a life, all the way, and at the end handed over, sealed."
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Nov 29, 2017 Melissa ♥ Dog/Wolf Lover ♥ Martin rated it really liked it

Shelves: library-book

I would never have read this book if it wasn't for one of my groups pick for a badge.

I thought it was really sweet.

The story of a man and a little girl. Bittersweet and brought a tear to my eye. A happy tear. Enough said.

Mel 💕 ...more

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Nov 13, 2016 Kris (My Novelesque Life) rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction, civil-war, library-book-borrowed, fiction, arc-edelweiss, western

RATING: 4.5 STARS
2016; William Morrow/HarperCollins

"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 p RATING: 4.5 STARS
2016; William Morrow/HarperCollins

"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." (From Publisher)

I love the synopsis of this novel, so I am not even going to touch it with my own words. This is my first novel by Jiles, though I have a few of her books on my physical shelf. I have heard such great things about her novels, and I love historical fiction, so I have been wanting to read her novels for awhile. When I had a chance to review this book, I jumped on it, and I am so happy I did. I loved the characters in this book especially the Captain and the girl. They are both endearing so I felt a great connection and investment to them and what was going to happen next. I also like stories where there is an "epic journey" as it reminds me of the inner journey we go through within ourselves. I kind of hope this book will be adapted into a miniseries. As I read the novel, I could picture it like a film in my mind. It is very lush with descriptions, and as I read I was transported to another place. This novel reminds me a lot of the movies, True Grit (original and remake) and book/movie Cold Mountain (one of my favourite novels). I cannot wait to read another book by Jiles.

***I received an eARC from EDELWEISS**

My Novelesque Blog ...more

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May 18, 2020 Maureen rated it really liked it

Shelves: hoopla

Captain Kidd is a man in 1870 who reads the world news to the people of the villages and towns he visits. He is now 72 years old and has been given the responsibility of delivering a 10 year old young girl back to her family in San Antonio
He will receive $50.00 for doing this. Johanna was captured by the Kiowa tribe after they murdered her parents and sister. She was only 6 years old at the time.Johanna has developed the ways of the Kiowa. She doesn’t speak English. She has very primitive ways ...more

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Feb 03, 2018 Celia rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction-read, audible, kindle-list, vero-book-club, stellar-recs, 2018-read, states, western

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Feb 28, 2020 Book Concierge rated it really liked it

Shelves: audio, 19th-century, historical-fiction, racism, survival, texas, adventure, native-american, concierge, strong-women

Book on CD performed by Grover Gardner

Captain Jefferson Kidd is a 70-year-old widower who travels the small towns of Post-Civil-War Texas, reading the news to a paying audience hungry for information from foreign lands. In Wichita Falls, he’s approached by a man who has helped rescue a young girl – Johanna Leonberger – from the Kiowa tribe that has held her captive for some years. Kidd is asked to take Johanna with him, and return her to her relatives in the San Antonio area. Reluctantly, he agr Book on CD performed by Grover Gardner

Captain Jefferson Kidd is a 70-year-old widower who travels the small towns of Post-Civil-War Texas, reading the news to a paying audience hungry for information from foreign lands. In Wichita Falls, he’s approached by a man who has helped rescue a young girl – Johanna Leonberger – from the Kiowa tribe that has held her captive for some years. Kidd is asked to take Johanna with him, and return her to her relatives in the San Antonio area. Reluctantly, he agrees, though he knows the 400-mile journey will be fraught with peril.

Oh, I loved this tale, and the way Jiles portrayed these two central characters. Kidd is a principled man, a veteran of war, who may be elderly but still has his wits about him. Johanna is a wild child, who has forgotten English (and German), and speaks in the tonal language of her adopted tribe. She refuses to wear shoes, keeps trying to run away, is fearful and obstinate. But as they travel through this wild country, they come to trust one another. Kidd teaches her some English, and she carefully calls him “Kep-Dun” and comes to understand – and believe – him when he assures her that things are “all right.”

The decisions they must make are sometimes heart-breaking. The ways they support one another when facing various dangers and come to simply enjoy one another when things are going smoothly, paint a picture of love. There are some scenes that are quite comical, many that are tender, and quite a few that had me on the edge of my seat.

I particularly enjoyed the landscape of their journey. I’ve traveled many of these areas in my many trips to/from Texas to visit family. Oh, how I long to see the bluebonnets and Indian paintbrush that color the hills come spring each year! This is the second book by Jiles that I’ve read, and I think I need to read more.

Grover Gardner did a marvelous job performing the audio. His somewhat gravelly voice was perfect for Captain Kidd, and he did a passable job of voicing Johanna as well.

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Dec 30, 2016 Tasha rated it liked it

Shelves: historical-fiction

I seem to be in the minority but I thought this book was just ok. I was interested in but didn't feel connected to the characters. I feel it gave a good sense for time and place though. ...more

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