I just finished reading "News of the World" and thought it was a good story well told. The main character, a veteran of the War of 1812 -> the Civil War, was truly an honorable man, something we don't see much of these days. Here's a summary of the story, which I shamelessly borrowed from another site:
"1870, North Texas, rainy and cold. Captain Jefferson Kyle Kidd travels from town to town giving readings from the latest newspapers, bringing the news of the world to isolated towns on the Texas frontier. In Wichita Falls, he is asked to return a captive girl to her relatives near San Antonio, 400 miles to the south. The old man and the ten-year-old start out on a hazardous journey, no less risky because the girl considers herself now a Kiowa and does not have the slightest desire to return. Bandits and Comanche raids and violent weather make as many difficulties as the ten-year old girl who can’t speak English, eats with her hands and knows how to use a revolver. In the end, he finds he must return her to relatives who don’t want her, even though he and the girl have become trusting friends. A story of courage and honor and the truth that these two things are often the possession of even the unlikeliest people."
My only complaint, and it's a minor one, is that the author doesn't know much about firearms of that period, which you'll discover as you read it. Other than that, it is a heartwarming tale.
Topic: "News of the World," by Paulette Jiles (Read 2424 times)