Brown Bag Book Discussion

Librarian Paul McNeil will lead a discussion of Paulete Jile's award winning novel News of the World. Participants are encouraged (but not required) to read the book in advance. Ask for a copy at the library’s information desk.

In order to allow for social distancing, seating is limited. Please register to reserve your spot.

From School Library Journal: 

Captain Jefferson Kyle Kidd, a retired Civil War captain, didn't have babysitting on his mind when he drifted into town; but he ends up escorting a 10-year-old to her family for a $50 gold piece. Johanna was captured by the Kiowa after her German immigrant parents were attacked and killed, and now the unlikely duo must travel through rough Texas country together.

Previously, Capt. Kidd had been raising money by reading newspapers to townspeople (hence the title) and tries to "civilize" Johanna, all while the two of them fight off raiders and thieves of all types. As the journey continues, the pair become closer. When they finally arrive in San Antonio, Capt. Kidd must make the hardest decision of his life. A National Book Award finalist for fiction, this slim Western novel, set in crooked Reconstruction Texas, is simultaneously brief and expansive. The author is a poet; and the book, with its carefully turned phrases, is reminiscent of Kent Myers' Alex Award-winning The Work of Wolves. VERDICT: The feel-good ending will bring tears to the hardest of readers.