News of the World by Paulette Jiles

4/5 Stars

News of the World by Paulette Jiles was an interesting read and a unique take on historical fiction. The novel explores an often not thought about part of history – a child kidnapped by a Native American tribe.  Johanna was kidnapped at a young age by the Kiowa Indians.  She lived with them for four years learning their language and way of life.  She ultimately identified as a Kiowa herself.

It is 1870 in post-Civil War Texas, and Captain Jefferson Kyle Kidd, a 71-year-old widower, father and news reader who travels from town to town with his newspaper clippings, is asked if he would be willing to return a rescued 10-year-old Johanna to her surviving family 600 miles away.  Captain Kidd agrees with this difficult and dangerous journey.  This journey is not without challenges.  Johanna knows no English.  She is persistent in maintaining her identity as a Kiowa.  The duo travels together over miles of difficult terrain riddled with unsavory characters and dangerous interactions.  That is all I will say about that as I do not want to give too much away.  Over this long journey, Captain Kidd and Johanna’s relationship grows to resemble more that of a grandfather and granddaughter than of a man trying to return a kidnapped child. The pair reaches their destination, and there is a delightful twist of an ending. 

This is a short, easy and heartwarming read.  I would have rated it higher if it went into a bit more depth. There were times when the story felt rushed, and these are times when I would have rather marinated in the beauty of the story.  But a great read and a quick read I would certainly recommend!

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