4.5 Out of 5 Stars
In News of The World, Can Two Lonely Survivors Help Each Other?
News of the World by Paulette Jiles is set just after the Civil War during a tumultuous period in the United States of America before the re-construction attempt when much of the South is the epitome of the wild, wild west.
Captain Kidd is an upper middle-aged former soldier and widower who travels through Texas delivering news to audiences. Johanna is a ten-year-old girl kidnapped four years earlier by Kiowa Indians, now rescued by the US Army who hires Captain Kidd to return her to the family she has left in San Antonio.
While traveling through Texas together, Captain Kidd and Johanna learn from and about each other through multiple heart-pounding incidents. In addition, they form an unexpected bond that will be hard to break. Will the two survive their treacherous journey together? And if they do, will they be able to go on without each other when they reach Johanna’s relatives?
Discover these answers and more in this wonderfully written and quite touching historical read.
History Can Teach Us
We love the study of history, especially when combined with fantastic storytelling like News of The World. Learning more about the past can often show us that events repeat over time, as echoes occur with fashions. Of course, events and styles don’t come back precisely in the same way. But they almost always do reappear at some point, whether we like it or not.
News of The World, The More We Learn
This novel offers readers a view of a country where almost everyone is a threat. In a way, our current state of social media could be comparable, as can our political environment. But the more we as humans read and learn about the history and the culture of others—what they look like, how they talk, and how they live or used to—the more we learn empathy and have the capacity to care about people and the world around us.
A movie of this book Tom Hanks came out in December 2020.
News of The World Synopsis:
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. Through this exquisitely rendered, morally complex, multilayered novel of historical fiction, the author of Enemy Women explores 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, the army offers a $50 gold piece to deliver a young orphan to San Antonio’s relatives. 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 prove 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.
Author Bio:
Paulette Jiles is a poet and memoirist. She is the author of Cousins, a memoir, and the bestselling novels Enemy Women and Stormy Weather. She lives in San Antonio, Texas.
News of The World FAQ
The novel was published on October 4, 2016.
The print book is 220 pages.
Yes, you can purchase the audiobook through Amazon by clicking here.
Yes, the movie was released on December 25, 2020. You can buy or rent the movie through Amazon Prime here.
Image at top of this feature is by Madalyne Staab on Unsplash
Thanks for visiting!
Do you enjoy novels set in the past and of different cultures?
Click below to check out our recent review of The Night Tiger by Yangsze Choo. We highly recommend it!
Disclaimers for Two Dog Review
Two Dog Review has NOT received any compensation from the author or any other company in exchange for this review. The opinions expressed herein are those of the authors.
There are affiliate links within this post through which Two Dog Review will receive a small commission on purchases you make, with absolutely no added costs to you.
All the information on this website – https://www.twodogreview.com – is published in good faith and only for general information. Two Dog Review does not make any warranties about the completeness, reliability, and accuracy of this information. Any action you take upon the information you find on this website (Two Dog Review) is strictly at your own risk. Two Dog Review will not be liable for any losses and damages in connection with the use of our website. Our Disclaimer was generated with the help of the Disclaimer Generator and the Privacy Policy Generator.
Hyperlinks and Affiliate Links
From our website, you can visit other websites by following hyperlinks to such external sites. While we strive to provide only quality links to useful and ethical websites, we have no control over the content and nature of these sites. These links to other websites do not imply a recommendation for all the content found on these sites. Site owners and content may change without notice and may occur before we have the opportunity to remove a link that may have gone bad.
Please be aware that other sites may have different privacy policies and terms beyond our control when you leave our website.
Consent
By using our website, you hereby consent to our disclaimer and agree to its terms.
Update
Should we update, amend or make any changes to this document, those changes will be prominently posted here.
If you require any more information or have any questions about our site’s disclaimer, please feel free to visit our Privacy page here or our Contact page by clicking here.
1 Comment
[…] Read now […]
Comments are closed
Post Comment