Most Popular Books by Paulette Jiles

The story of two different families, headed by a former slave and by a Quaker, who settle in Texas during the Civil War.

Soon to be a Major Motion Picture National Book Award Finalist—Fiction 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 in this exquisitely rendered, morally complex, multilayered novel of historical fiction from the author of Enemy Women that 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, 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.

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, 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.

The critically acclaimed, bestselling author of News of the World and Enemy Women returns to Texas in this atmospheric story, set at the end of the Civil War, about an itinerant fiddle player, a ragtag band of musicians with whom he travels trying to make a living, and the charming young Irish lass who steals his heart. In March 1865, the long and bitter War between the States is winding down. Till now, twenty-three-year-old Simon Boudlin has evaded military duty thanks to his slight stature, youthful appearance, and utter lack of compunction about bending the truth. But following a barroom brawl in Victoria, Texas, Simon finds himself conscripted, however belatedly, into the Confederate Army. Luckily his talent with a fiddle gets him a comparatively easy position in a regimental band. Weeks later, on the eve of the Confederate surrender, Simon and his bandmates are called to play for officers and their families from both sides of the conflict. There the quick-thinking, audacious fiddler can’t help but notice the lovely Doris Mary Dillon, an indentured girl from Ireland, who is governess to a Union colonel’s daughter. After the surrender, Simon and Doris go their separate ways. He will travel around Texas seeking fame and fortune as a musician. She must accompany the colonel’s family to finish her three years of service. But Simon cannot forget the fair Irish maiden, and vows that someday he will find her again. Incandescent in its beauty, told in Paulette Jiles’s trademark spare yet lilting style, Simon the Fiddler is a captivating, bittersweet tale of the chances a devoted man will take, and the lengths he will go to fulfill his heart’s yearning. "Jiles’ sparse but lyrical writing is a joy to read. . . . Lose yourself in this entertaining tale.” — Associated Press

The American debut of the widely admired Canadian writer is a compilation drawn from a wide range of writings in prose and poetry.

By the highly acclaimed author of the novel "Enemy Women" Winner of the Governor General''s Award for Poetry, the Pat Lowther Memorial Award, and the Gerald Lampert Memorial Award " "Now back in print, Paulette Jiles''s celebrated, multi-award-winning poetry collection. These are poems of scorching intensity, which examine the politics of childhood and love; explore the rigours and blessings of living in the far north; mark the way stations of a life of discovery and exploration. The result is a poetry of singular, telling immediacy.

Paulette Jiles, the bestselling author of the highly praised novels The Color of Lightning, Stormy Weather, and Enemy Women, pushes into new territory with Lighthouse Island—a captivating and atmospheric story set in the far future—a literary dystopian tale resonant with love and hope. In the coming centuries the world''s population has exploded. The earth is crowded with cities, animals are nearly all extinct, and drought is so widespread that water is rationed. There are no maps, no borders, no numbered years, and no freedom, except for an elite few. It is a harsh world for an orphan like Nadia Stepan. Growing up, she dreams of a green vacation spot called Lighthouse Island, in a place called the Pacific Northwest. When an opportunity for escape arises, Nadia embarks on a dangerous and sometimes comic adventure. Along the way she meets a man who changes the course of her life: James Orotov, a mapmaker and demolition expert. Together, they evade arrest and head north toward a place of wild beauty that lies beyond the megapolis—Lighthouse Island.

From critically acclaimed, award-winning poet and memoirist Paulette Jiles comes a debut novel of startling power and savage beauty--an extraordinary story of survival and love in the midst of a torn nation''s bitter agony.

In 1974, when Paulette Jiles was first sent by the CBC to work as a journalist in Big Trout Lake, a village without radio or television in remote northern Ontario, she didn''t know a bush plane from a backpack. "North Spirit is based on the seven years Jiles spent working with the northern Cree and Ojibway peoples, who call themselves Anishinabe. This lyrical, witty and reflective book evokes a time when new technology is beginning to clash with the traditioinal culture. At its center is the author''s search for the meaning of the remote and sometimes terrifying Oda-Ka-Daun, or Stern Paddler, who moves his cosmic vessel through the heavens. As she seeks to unravel this mystery, Jiles recounts her many adventures among the Anishinabe people and reveals the enduring legacy of their northern mythology.

Consumed with grief, driven by vengeance, a man undertakes an unrelenting odyssey across the lawless post–Civil War frontier seeking redemption in this fearless novel from the award-winning and New York Times bestselling author of News of the World. Union soldier John Chenneville suffered a traumatic head wound in battle. His recovery took the better part of a year as he struggled to regain his senses and mobility. By the time he returned home, the Civil War was over, but tragedy awaited. John’s beloved sister and her family had been brutally murdered. Their killer goes by many names. He fought for the North in the late unpleasantness, and wore a badge in the name of the law. But the man John knows as A. J. Dodd is little more than a rabid animal, slaughtering without reason or remorse, needing to be put down. Traveling through the unforgiving landscape of a shattered nation in the midst of Reconstruction, John braves winter storms and confronts desperate people in pursuit of his quarry. Untethered, single-minded in purpose, he will not be deterred. Not by the U.S. Marshal who threatens to arrest him for murder should he succeed. And not by Victoria Reavis, the telegraphist aiding him in his death-driven quest, yet hoping he’ll choose to embrace a life with her instead. And as he trails Dodd deep into Texas, John accepts that this final reckoning between them may cost him more than all he’s already lost…

Four Texas women struggle against nature and opportunists on their Brazos River ranch during the Great Depression.

Soon to be a Major Motion Picture starring Tom Hanks 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 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, forging 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. Exquisitely rendered and morally complex, News of the World is a brilliant work of historical fiction that explores the boundaries of family, responsibility, honor, and trust.

The Golden Hawks want a clubhouse of their own. But where can they find one in their new housing development on the edge of the city? First they try to make their clubhouse in Joe''s bedroom, but their parents get angry when the kids hammer holes in the wall. Then they scare themselves silly looking for scrap wood in an empty--and spooky--apartment building. Finally they try to make money so they can build a clubhouse. Will the Golden Hawks ever have a place to call their own? First published in 1978, The Golden Hawks is an honest and touching look at life on the edge of a Canadian city. A volume in the Where We Live series.

With the spark and zest of a gin fizz, Jiles invites readers along on an unforgettable rail trip as her hatted heroine, a Katharine Hepburn type, is leaving America, escaping to Canada and hoping to find her Spencer Tracy somewhere in the Dome Car between Vancouver and points east.

La novela que inspiró la película protagonizada por Tom Hanks. Concluida la guerra de Secesión, el capitán Jefferson Kyle Kidd se dedica a viajar por el norte de Texas leyendo artículos de prensa a un público ávido por conocer las noticias del mundo. Les habla de presidentes y reinas, de luchas gloriosas, devastadoras catástrofes y apasionantes aventuras que tienen lugar en cualquier rincón del orbe. El capitán Kidd, un viudo entrado en años que ha vivido tres guerras y combatido en dos, disfruta de su solitaria y desarraigada existencia cuando le ofrecen una moneda de oro por devolver a una niña huérfana que había sido capturada por los kiowas a sus parientes en San Antonio. El viaje al sur a través de cuatrocientas millas de inhóspito territorio va a ser difícil y peligroso. Johanna, que ha olvidado incluso su lengua, piensa en escapar apenas se le presente oportunidad y elude comportarse de modo «civilizado». No obstante, a medida que progresan en su travesía, los dos extraños supervivientes comienzan poco a poco a confiar el uno en el otro, forjando un vínculo entre ellos que, en tierra hostil, supone la diferencia entre la vida y la muerte. New York Times Bestseller «Noticias del gran mundo, nominada al National Book Award, ha sido comparada con la novela Valor de ley, de Charles Portis, y la película Centauros del desierto, de John Ford (el viaje de un hombre para «rescatar» a una niña blanca raptada por los indios). Kidd, el protagonista, ama seleccionar y agrupar artículos, oír los ahogados gritos de sorpresa de la gente y constatar el inmenso poder de la comunicación. Durante las horas de lectura de Noticias del gran mundo, ese poder se restaura como por arte de magia.» JANET MASLIN, NEW YORK TIMES «Los seguidores de Jiles y amantes de la novela histórica no deben perderse este western. El desenlace dejará completamente satisfechos a quienes quieran conocer el destino de sus queridos personajes.» WENDY W. PAIGE

Texas, 1865, guerra di Secessione, anno quinto. Grazie alla faccia e alla statura da bambino, e al violino Markneukirchen che incanta chiunque l’ascolti, Simon Boudlin è riuscito a sfuggire agli occhiuti reclutatori confederati. Ne ha visti tanti di orrori, il violinista itinerante, e sa soltanto che a nessun costo vuole imbracciare un’arma. Poi però arriva il giorno in cui, coinvolto in una rissa da saloon, viene arruolato a forza. Simon fa resistenza come può, prima all’addestramento, dopo sulle rive del Rio Grande, teatro di un’ultima, inutile vittoria sudista di una guerra ormai persa. Senza nemmeno aspettare il foglio di congedo dai vincitori, Simon prende il largo insieme ad altri tre musicisti che, come lui, sperano di trovare fortuna e soldi altrove: Damon, con la passione per Edgar Allan Poe e il flauto irlandese; Doroteo, tejano e chitarrista; il giovane Patrick, tamburino dell’esercito con il suo bodhràn. Comincia così un vagabondaggio del quartetto di musici attraverso il Texas devastato dalla furia degli eserciti e dalla febbre gialla, percorso da gente affamata e cenciosa, ma anche abitato da una natura intatta e primitiva. Un viaggio irto di difficoltà in cui la musica – quella che i quattro devono imparare a suonare insieme – è la stella polare di Simon, come lo è il pensiero di quella ragazza irlandese con i capelli corvini che gli ha rubato il cuore e che sente come un destino ad attenderlo in fondo a quel lungo cammino. Dopo il successo di Notizie dal mondo, da cui è stato tratto l’omonimo film con Tom Hanks, Paulette Jiles torna con un romanzo di grande atmosfera dove, fra superbe descrizioni e un’attenzione artistica al dettaglio, ci racconta una storia minore, se inscritta nella più grande storia della frontiera, ma che ben presto mostra il suo respiro epico, con i suoi personaggi coraggiosi e vitali, in cui brilla la luce di un’umanità non ancora sconfitta. «La scrittura scarna e lirica di Jiles è una gioia per gli occhi e per la mente. Una storia in cui perdersi». Associated Press «Al lettore sembra di assistere a una specie di miracolo alchemico, quando personaggi, paesaggio e musica si fondono sulla pagina in un’unica nota, dando vita a un’umanità autentica che vale la pena ricordare e celebrare». The New York Times «Paulette Jiles ha fatto della ricerca del passato l’obiettivo della sua carriera». Corriere della Sera «Una prosa luminosa». Los Angeles Times

DA QUESTO LIBRO L’OMONIMO FILM NETFLIX DIRETTO DA PAUL GREENGRASS CON TOM HANKS E HELENA ZENGEL. Texas, 1870. All’indomani della Guerra civile, l’anziano capitano Jefferson Kidd, veterano di guerra e stampatore in pensione, si guadagna da vivere spostandosi da una città all’altra e leggendo ad alta voce i giornali per un pubblico pagante e affamato di notizie dal mondo. Un giorno, a Wichita Falls, Kidd viene avvicinato da Britt Johnson, un nero libero che fa il trasportatore. Sul suo carro c’è una bambina di una decina d’anni, vestita alla maniera Comanche con una tunica di pelle di daino con quattro file di denti d’alce cuciti sul petto. I capelli sono del colore dello zucchero d’acero, con una penna d’aquila e due piumini legati a una ciocca, e gli occhi, azzurrissimi, di una bambola di porcellana. A quanto ne sa l’agente che l’ha riscattata, si tratta di Johanna Leonberger, catturata dagli indiani quattro anni prima, quando ne aveva sei. I genitori e la sorellina più piccolo sono morti nell’assalto, ma ci sono dei parenti, uno zio e una zia, a San Antonio. Per cinquanta dollari, Kidd potrebbe affrontare un viaggio di tre settimane e riportarla alla sua famiglia? Uomo d’onore, il capitano accetta, sapendo che altrimenti nessun altro aiuterà la bambina. L’incarico, tuttavia, si rivela ben più arduo del previsto. Nei quattro anni trascorsi con i Comanche, Johanna ha dimenticato la lingua materna e le buone maniere, non intende salire sul carro nè mettersi le scarpe, e tenta di scappare appena se ne presenta l’occasione. Una volta avventuratisi nel deserto, in una terra ostile e crudele, popolata da ambigui e pericolosi personaggi, al capitano e alla bambina non resta che imparare a conoscersi e fidarsi l’uno dell’altra per sopravvivere. Western mozzafiato, Notizie dal mondo è la storia di una toccante amicizia, un potente romanzo sull’universale sentimento dell’onore e della fiducia, al di là delle differenze di popoli e di culture. «Il capitano Kidd entra a far parte di diritto del pantheon dei grandi personaggi western». Charles Frazier «Notizie dal mondo è un delizioso romanzo sulle gioie della libertà, sull’avventura nella natura selvaggia di un Texas inospitale e sulla riconciliazione tra culture molto diverse». New York Times

Hiver 1870, le capitaine Jefferson Kyle Kidd parcourt le nord du Texas et lit à voix haute des articles de journaux devant un public avide des nouvelles du monde : les Irlandais migrent à New York ; une ligne de chemin de fer traverse désormais le Nebraska ; le Popocatepetl, près de Mexico, est entré en éruption. Un soir, après une de ses lectures à Wichita Falls, on propose au Capitaine de ramener dans sa famille, près de San Antonio, la jeune Johanna Leonberger. Quatre ans plus tôt, la fillette a assisté au massacre de ses parents et de sa sœur par les Kiowas qui l''ont épargnée, elle, et élevée comme une des leurs. Le vieil homme, veuf, qui vivait jadis de son métier d''imprimeur, profite de sa liberté pour sillonner les routes, mais l''argent se fait rare. Il accepte cette mission, en échange d''une pièce d''or, sachant qu''il devra se méfier des voleurs, des Comanches et des Kiowas autant que de l''armée fédérale. Sachant aussi qu''il devra apprivoiser cette enfant devenue sauvage qui guette la première occasion de s''échapper. Pourtant, au fil des kilomètres, ces deux survivants solitaires tisseront un lien qui fera leur force. Dans ce splendide roman aux allures de western, Paulette Jiles aborde avec pudeur des sujets aussi universels que les origines, le devoir, l''honneur et la confiance.

Governor-General''s Literary Award winner Paulette Jiles has brought together in this collection a selection of poems representative of her work over the last decade. Many of her poems exploring the white frozen interior of the Canadian north will be found in this volume, as well as a series of poems calling up the bar and bawdy-house days of composer Scott Joplin''s ragtime - appearing here in book form for the first time. Jiles'' delight is in narrative lyrically evoking the landscape through which her stories travel. In "Song to the Rising Sun", commissioned for CBC Radio, she celebrates the Arctic landscape even as pollution threatens its harsh purity.

O ano é 1870. Quando a palavra de um homem bastava. O capitão Jefferson Kyle Kidd empreende uma jornada pelo inóspito território do Texas, para levar uma garota para a casa de parentes. Eles não se conhecem, mas juntos terão de enfrentar desafios de forças humanas e naturais, enquanto procuram um lugar para chamar de lar. Uma história vibrante, com personagens saídos do Velho Oeste e primorosamente escrita, este romance foi indicado para o 2016 Book Award e tornou-se filme de sucesso com Tom Hanks em 2021.

Autobiography of Cauthorn who was prominent in dance and the arts in San Antonio during the 1940s-1960s. Married into one of West Texas'' biggest ranching families and lived in Del Rio. An accident left her husband an invalid, and Cauthorn, with two babies still in diapers, ran the 40,000 acre sheep ranch herself.