News of the World

by Paulette Jiles

Book Overview

Soon to be a Major Motion Picture

National Book Award Finalist--Fiction

It is 1870 and Captain Jefferson Kyle Kidd travels through northern Texas, giving live readings 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...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0062409204
• ISBN13: 9780062409201
• Release Date: October 2016
• Publisher: William Morrow & Company
• Length: 224 Pages
• Weight: 0.70 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.5" x 7.4"

Customer Reviews

Very good but falters at the end

I loved the book up until the ending which seemed anticlimactic to me and a little rushed. However, I was not disappointed in the book as a whole. A very good read and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys historical fiction and western novels. I was looking for a novel that had the same feeling/vibe as Red Dead Redemption 2 and this book scratches that itch for me.

A sweet but tough tale of the West

Such a rich and detailed story of the old West. You see the Captain’s devotion to keeping things a certain way, and you slowly learn where that came from. You learn his background, his childhood, his Civil War service, his marriage, his early Texas life, his family, his business. All of which informs his decision to help the girl. And that’s the real story the book tells. Everything I said before that was scattered throughout the book, inserted so adroitly that the book remains short and focused. It’s a beautifully drawn tale.

Beautiful writing, vivid story

My review cannot do justice to Paulette Giles' writing. She truly writes with a unique sound and her story is captivating. Great characters that you will want to follow across the Southwest of 1870's.

An engaging story

An easy read which was a selection for my small book club, we all rated it a 5. I enjoy stories about children and the world in their perspective. I couldn't put it down.