Paulette Jiles is an American author whose works often delve into the heart of the American South. Her writing is noted for its keen observation of human nature and the landscapes that shape it. Through both her poetry and prose, Jiles weaves together themes of memory, loss, and resilience. Her style is at once lyrical and gritty, offering readers a rich and memorable experience.
Based on oral histories of the post-Civil War years in North Texas, this title offers an intimate look into the hearts and hopes of tragically flawed human beings and a courageous reexamination of a dark American history.
Set against the backdrop of the Civil War in 1863, the narrative explores the shifting perspectives of a nation on the brink of change. As the conflict approaches its climax, characters grapple with the implications of impending peace and the looming specter of new conflicts. The story delves into themes of loyalty, identity, and the evolving nature of warfare, highlighting the complexities of a society in transition.
Set in East Texas during the Great Depression, the story follows the Stoddard sisters—responsible Mayme, clever tomboy Jeanine, and bookish Bea—as they navigate life on the move with their father in search of work in the oil industry. When a mysterious accident leaves them and their mother, Elizabeth, to fend for themselves, they face the brutal realities of drought and dust storms. The novel explores themes of resilience and family bonds amidst the harsh challenges of their itinerant existence.
Set in post-Civil War Texas, this atmospheric tale follows an itinerant fiddle player and his motley crew of musicians as they navigate the challenges of making a living. Amidst their travels, he encounters a captivating young Irish woman who captures his heart, adding a layer of romance to their struggles. The narrative weaves themes of resilience and the pursuit of dreams in a richly depicted historical backdrop.
Soon to be a Major Motion Picture starring Tom Hanks due December 2020. 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
Set in a future where sprawling cities dominate Earth, the story follows Nadia Stepan, who was abandoned as a child. With only a drawing of the Big Dipper and her mother's cryptic advice to guide her, she becomes fixated on Lighthouse Island in the Pacific Northwest, convinced it holds the key to her family's past. As her longing for connection intensifies, her resolve to embark on a journey to uncover her origins drives the narrative forward.
"In March 1865, the long and bitter War between the States is winding down. Until 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 into the Confederate Army. Luckily, his talent with a fiddle lands him 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."--Back cover
Denounced as a confederate spy during the American Civil War, Adair Colley is thrown in jail, where she falls in love with her Union interrogator, who helps her to escape. Braving uncounted dangers with courage and wit, Adair struggles to reunite her family and find love again as a free woman.
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...
Předloha stejnojmenného filmu s Tomem Hanksem v hlavní roli, který znají i čeští diváci. Kapitán Jefferson Kidd, kterého občanská válka Severu proti Jihu připravila o živnost tiskaře, ve svých sedmdesáti objíždí v sedle městečka severního Texasu a předčítá místním za deseticent „zprávy ze světa“. Po jednom takovém vystoupení je mu do péče svěřena desetiletá Johana, kterou před šesti lety unesli Kajovové. Vydá se na nebezpečnou cestu neklidným územím, aby osiřelé dívce našel nový domov.
