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
