"The reader is treated to a kind of alchemy on the page when
character, setting and song converge at all the right notes,
generating an authentic humanity that is worth remembering and
celebrating." -- New York Times 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
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