News of the World: A Novel
News of the World by Paulette Jiles is a poignant Western novel set in 1870s Texas. The story follows Captain Jefferson Kyle Kidd, a veteran of three wars who now makes a living travelling between towns reading newspapers to paying audiences hungry for news of the world. On a journey through North Texas, Captain Kidd is offered a sum to transport a young orphan named Johanna home from the Kiowa tribe that had kidnapped her as a small child. The novel follows their journey as they dodge danger and prejudice while trying to find a place to call home.
The two protagonists, an unlikely duo, are sympathetic and finely drawn, with Jiles' poetic and evocative writing bringing their arduous journey and the Texas landscape to life. The book starts slow and ends abruptly, though the buildup and the moving character study outweigh any plot weaknesses. While the plot is relatively simple, the book explores complex themes related to family, identity, prejudice, and morality.
“Maybe life is just carrying news. Surviving to carry the news. Maybe we have just one message, and it is delivered to us when we are born and we are never sure what it says; it may have nothing to do with us personally but it must be carried by hand through a life, all the way, and at the end handed over, sealed.”
In many ways, Jiles uses the historical backdrop of the Western frontier to explore themes of social justice, discrimination, and human rights. The treatment of Native tribes serves as an allegory for broader issues of oppression and marginalisation, with Jiles exploring political matters related to Native American tribes in the 1870s, including:
The displacement and mistreatment of Native tribes as white settlers moved into the West
Forcibly assimilating Native American children into white culture by removing them from their tribes and families
Broken treaties and promises to Native tribes
Prejudice against Natives, especially those of mixed white and Native descent
The commercial exploitation of Native American culture, as seen in "Indian shows" and “Wild West shows”
Those familiar with Texas history may appreciate the historical accuracy sans the Western tropes and clichés. But even readers who don't normally gravitate to such genres may find themselves swept away by Jiles' storytelling on moral purpose and finding connection in a fractured world. Captivating, poignant, and thought-provoking, News of the World is a stirring novel that lingers long after the last page turn.
The 2020 film adaptation stays faithful to the story while condensing plot points for the screen. With some of Jiles’ exquisite prose lost in translation, it was inevitable that the movie lacked the depth and nuance of the book. Nevertheless, Tom Hanks and Helena Zengel made excellent leads, and director Paul Greengrass crafted a gritty yet lyrical Texas that was a visual delight to enjoy. Now available on Netflix.
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