Thanks to the article that ran in The Kansas City Star, I have a bunch of new followers. Welcome! I’m looking forward to reading together. The way the book club works is pretty simple. We just read a book every other month, which gives everyone a couple of months to read the book. I blog about the book at the end of the month and try to get some discussion going in the comments section. And to simulate an actual book club, if you just want to pour yourself a glass of wine and chat about random topics, feel free.
June’s book is “News of the World”, by Paulette Jiles. (Thanks for the recommendation, George and Molly.) Here’s the summary from the library:
“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. “
Looks like a good one! I’ll blog about it towards the end of June.
Book Thoughts from Bed 
Look forward to it and the lively discussion to follow.
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Thanks, Bill!
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Perfect timing for me as several volunteer obligations are winding down. I loved Enemy Women! I look forward to reading along with you!
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Terrific!
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Quite a lot of holds at our library for this one, but I’ve put my name on the list!
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Ditto. Glad you’re going to join us!
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So excited to join your book club !! Reading along with you as well as the book discussions are going to be so much fun !!
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Thank you for organizing this book club. I read about your story in the paper and was so touched by your spirit. I will get the book so I can participate in the club.
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Glad you’ll be joining us!
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how do you join this book club?
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There’s no formal process for joining. You just read the book and share your thoughts when I blog about it.
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Does anyone else use goodreads.com? You can list and rank books you’ve read and they email you lists of new books you might like every month. You can also read or listen to excerpts of books to see if you like them.
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I was diagnosed with bulbar onset ALS in Dec 2016. I’m 47. My father also had bulbar onset als but his progressed rapidly and he died 4 months after diagnosis
I read your story on the ALS Facebook today and it gives me hope that while I may lose function I can still have a fulfulling, productive life however that may look.
Right now only my speech/swallow is affextednl so I am endeavoring to enjoy my mobility as long as I can. It is frustrating though that I’m hearing alot of “huh” or “what”….
Thank you for giving me hope.
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Thanks for commenting. I’m sorry to hear that you have ALS and doubly sorry to hear it’s the familial type. I’m glad my story gave you some inspiration.
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I’m so glad I found your blog. Love books and always am looking for suggestions. Plan to read and perhaps recommend to our local book club. Thanks again and by the way you are an inspiration to all.
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Thank you!
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I read about you in the KC Star and I am impressed with your determination. I am about halfway through the June book, News of the World, and the last chapter I read was so exciting and action-packed! I have never been in an online book club before, so I will try to remember to not give anything away as I am sure everyone is at a different point in the book. I typically read mostly non-fiction, but I do like well-researched historical fiction, too. I enjoy learning small details that I have never thought about before, such as when the author, in describing the girl, mentions that her big toes point straight forward as is the case in people who don’t wear shoes. Looking forward to more discussion!
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Thanks for the comments, Sue. Glad you’ll be reading with us!
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