News of the World
I have lots more time for reading during this period of isolation, but I’m finding it increasingly difficult to find books that engage me. Mysteries are my preferred form of escapism, but it’s hard to find other literature that is intellectually stimulating without feeling too much like what I read in the newspaper. I am depressed enough every morning.
It was an unexpected gift, therefore, to read News of the World, by Paulette Jiles for my book club. While the novel doesn’t avoid the violence, racism, and partisan politics of its time and place, post Civil War Texas, its lyricism and portrayal of an aging man determined to do the right thing were uplifting.
Captain Kidd earns his living traveling from town to town reading the news. At each stop he tailors the news he selects to his audience, starting with news of road and weather conditions in the surrounding areas and moving to stories that will transport the small-town residents beyond their own hard lives to exotic places and cultures.
At one of his stops he agrees to return a 10 year old girl who had been captured and held by the Kiowa for several years to her family, a 400 mile trek during which they will be threatened by dangers in the natural environment and even more by hostile human beings. His charge does not remember her prior life and has no wish to leave the customs she has known and which are clearly more “civilized” than those she is being forced back into. But the Captain accepts $50 to transport her and feels honor bound to fulfill his obligation. Over time they develop a mutually respectful and loving relationship which will change the outcome of the journey.
Although one of the things I loved about News of the World was that it allowed me to get away from the issues of the pandemic, I loved one line because of its relevance. My favorite line in the novel occurs when Kidd needs to gather supplies:
He made a list: feed, flour, ammunition, soap, beef, candles, faith, hope, charity.
My shopping these days is limited. I have learned to focus on what is necessary, not preferred. Faith, hope and charity are on my list of staples.