Status
Available
Call number
Publication
William Morrow (HarperCollins)
Pages
341
Description
Fiction. Literature. Western. Historical Fiction. HTML: 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 Aherne, 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..… (more)
Collection
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2020
Physical description
341 p.; 8.5 inches
ISBN
006296674X / 9780062966742
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User reviews
LibraryThing member tangledthread
Simon Boudlin is a man of slight stature who has traveled from his home in Kentucky to Texas during the Civil War, avoiding conscription based on his size and youthful appearance. As the war is drawing to a close, he finds himself in the Confederate Army as part of the regimental band. When his
This lays the groundwork for the ensuing pilgrimage style novel. Simon and his musician friends skip out of camp without proper paperwork. The author used several names for each of the musicians, other than Simon, which made it difficult to keep track of who was who. Two fall away early in their travels. The remaining three make their way to Galveston. All the while Simon has it in his head that he will buy land along the Red River and make his way to San Antonio to marry Doris.
The narrative is kind of dry and the dialogue stilted as Simon and his musician friends travel around Texas and slowly disband. If you can stick with it, the last 50 pages were the most engaging part of the story.
I loved Jiles' previous novels: News of the World, Enemy Women, and The Color of Lightening. This one didn't hold me in the same way.
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unit surrenders, he and several other musicians entertain the Union Army where he first sees and falls in love with Doris Dillon, the indentured Irish governess of the commander of the occupying unit.This lays the groundwork for the ensuing pilgrimage style novel. Simon and his musician friends skip out of camp without proper paperwork. The author used several names for each of the musicians, other than Simon, which made it difficult to keep track of who was who. Two fall away early in their travels. The remaining three make their way to Galveston. All the while Simon has it in his head that he will buy land along the Red River and make his way to San Antonio to marry Doris.
The narrative is kind of dry and the dialogue stilted as Simon and his musician friends travel around Texas and slowly disband. If you can stick with it, the last 50 pages were the most engaging part of the story.
I loved Jiles' previous novels: News of the World, Enemy Women, and The Color of Lightening. This one didn't hold me in the same way.
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LibraryThing member katiekrug
Okay, yes, this novel could have been a bit tighter, but it had a large story to tell. Or a small story on a large canvas. Or a large story on a small canvas. Or all of the above.
I read Simon the Fiddler as a kind of ode to the quest stories of old, to heroic ballads and fairy tales and epic
It’s an excellent piece of historical fiction, as well, bringing to life the Texas frontier in the years just after the Civil War, with the landscape and the people well drawn and fully developed. Jiles' writing is strong, her characterizations sharp, and her love for her characters and their story evident.
I read Simon the Fiddler as a kind of ode to the quest stories of old, to heroic ballads and fairy tales and epic
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romances (in the old fashioned sense), all set within the frame of the American story – conflict and persistence and belief in a dream. You have the Quest, the Girl, the Bad Guy, the Obstacles To Overcome, and you have the ideal of land of one’s own, an honest and simple life, and the love of a good woman.It’s an excellent piece of historical fiction, as well, bringing to life the Texas frontier in the years just after the Civil War, with the landscape and the people well drawn and fully developed. Jiles' writing is strong, her characterizations sharp, and her love for her characters and their story evident.
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LibraryThing member maneekuhi
Paulette Jiles’ previous book, “News of the World” is one of my favorites. I thought it might be her last so I was pleasantly surprised to read a (very favorable) Washington Post review recently of Jiles’ latest, “Simon the Fiddler”. I ordered it straight away and began reading it
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minutes later. It turned out to be a huge disappointment. Slow, no tension, no romance, it just dragged on and on. I read only small chunks at a time, and occasionally there were three to four day periods where I didn’t pick it up at all. None of the characters are the least bit interesting, nor is a major theme of the book, music and music instruments of the 1860s. ZZZZZZZZ. This is probably a one star effort – I just don’t get the 5 star reviews from some other readers – but out of respect for Jiles’ other work….2 stars. Show Less
LibraryThing member whitreidtan
Paulette Jiles is a gorgeous writer. Her News of the World was one of my favorite books of 2016. Simon the Fiddler, her latest novel, is set in the same half-tamed Western world as News of the World. In fact, Simon plays a role in that book and the main character there, Captain Jefferson Kidd,
Simon Boudlin, formerly of Paducah, Kentucky, has spent much of the Civil War playing his fiddle and evading the conscription men by hiding or running. Only at the very tail end of the war does his luck run out whereupon he's conscripted into the Confederate Army. His talent on the fiddle saves him after the South's surrender and his ensuing fight with a Union soldier to reclaim his stolen hat and fiddle, keeping him out of prison, putting him instead at a party to entertain the officers and their wives. It is there that he first lays eyes on Doris Dillon, a pretty Irish indentured servant working her contract off as governess to Colonel Webb's daughter. Simon is smitten and despite what he hears about the Colonel's character, he resolves to find and marry Doris once he has something to offer her. He is determined to earn the money and buy himself a good piece of land. So with the company of two men and a boy he played with that fateful evening, he sets out to do just that. The band travels from war torn Galveston to brash Houston and finally to occupied San Antonio with Simon ever leading the way, getting ever closer to a showdown over the woman he has loved from afar.
Simon is a confident and determined character. He is economical not only with money but with words and feelings, pouring his all into his precious fiddle and the occasional fight he didn't start but will finish. The secondary characters are also fully realized and if they sometimes disappear off into the mesquite and scrub of the Texas landscape, it feels right and expected. Jiles does an amazing job of drawing the time and the place with all of its potential, both to succeed and to fail. There are adventures in the novel but they feel slow and deliberate, always working toward the destination Simon has in mind. The prose is languid and hot feeling and the dirt and grit seep through the characters and the place and the plot. The love story is measured and not flashy but steady and relentless. Simon's love of music and his tender care of his fiddle speaks of the soul of him. Some might find this moves too slowly but for readers who want to appreciate the singing of language, this stunning read will satisfy at a bone deep level.
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makes an appearance here. And the books are related beyond setting and characters. They have the same beautiful flow to them, evoking the same sweeping musicality, the same tug of lawless danger and possibility that covered so much of Texas in the immediate aftermath of the Civil War.Simon Boudlin, formerly of Paducah, Kentucky, has spent much of the Civil War playing his fiddle and evading the conscription men by hiding or running. Only at the very tail end of the war does his luck run out whereupon he's conscripted into the Confederate Army. His talent on the fiddle saves him after the South's surrender and his ensuing fight with a Union soldier to reclaim his stolen hat and fiddle, keeping him out of prison, putting him instead at a party to entertain the officers and their wives. It is there that he first lays eyes on Doris Dillon, a pretty Irish indentured servant working her contract off as governess to Colonel Webb's daughter. Simon is smitten and despite what he hears about the Colonel's character, he resolves to find and marry Doris once he has something to offer her. He is determined to earn the money and buy himself a good piece of land. So with the company of two men and a boy he played with that fateful evening, he sets out to do just that. The band travels from war torn Galveston to brash Houston and finally to occupied San Antonio with Simon ever leading the way, getting ever closer to a showdown over the woman he has loved from afar.
Simon is a confident and determined character. He is economical not only with money but with words and feelings, pouring his all into his precious fiddle and the occasional fight he didn't start but will finish. The secondary characters are also fully realized and if they sometimes disappear off into the mesquite and scrub of the Texas landscape, it feels right and expected. Jiles does an amazing job of drawing the time and the place with all of its potential, both to succeed and to fail. There are adventures in the novel but they feel slow and deliberate, always working toward the destination Simon has in mind. The prose is languid and hot feeling and the dirt and grit seep through the characters and the place and the plot. The love story is measured and not flashy but steady and relentless. Simon's love of music and his tender care of his fiddle speaks of the soul of him. Some might find this moves too slowly but for readers who want to appreciate the singing of language, this stunning read will satisfy at a bone deep level.
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LibraryThing member nivramkoorb
I read this book because I enjoyed "The News of the World" by Jiles that was nominated for the National Book Award. This was a pleasant read but not on the same level as her previous book. The story is about Simon, a fiddler who was a minor character in the News.... of the World. In this book the
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civil war has just ended but it has taken awhile for the world to get out to Galveston Texas. It is there that Simon who was a fiddler in a Confederacy band ends up playing music with other people just trying to get by. Jiles does a good job of creating the atmosphere in post war Texas. You sense the anarchy and lawlessness. In his musical travels Simon meets and is smitten with Doris an Irish immigrant who is an indentured servant to a Union officer, Colonel Webb, a drunk and a lech. The story is sort of a cliche with good guys(Simon), bad guys(Webb) and the damsel in distress(Doris). It was an okay book, but I would strongly recommend "The news of the world" before this book. Again, an okay book but not on the same level as her National Book award nominee. Show Less
LibraryThing member BLBera
Paulette Jiles returns to Texas right after the Civil War in Simon the Fiddler. As in her successful News of the World, this Texas is vivid; the military occupation, lawlessness -- and possibilities -- all shine through. JIles' prose brings Texas to life: "enormous towering clouds built up over the
Music is at the heart of the story. One character tells Simon that they won't hang a fiddler -- carpenters, laborers, merchants, yes -- but not a fiddler. People's lives are hard after the war and music takes them to better places for a little while.
Her protagonist, Simon, is a brilliant character that we cheer for from the moment we meet him, hiding from conscription officers. While Simon drives the plot, we also have sidekicks, a true love, and a villain, turning this into a rollicking adventure that keeps us turning the pages.
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Gulf and sailed inland carrying, it seemed to him, secret messages about blue storms and pirates and tales of giant unknown fish."Music is at the heart of the story. One character tells Simon that they won't hang a fiddler -- carpenters, laborers, merchants, yes -- but not a fiddler. People's lives are hard after the war and music takes them to better places for a little while.
Her protagonist, Simon, is a brilliant character that we cheer for from the moment we meet him, hiding from conscription officers. While Simon drives the plot, we also have sidekicks, a true love, and a villain, turning this into a rollicking adventure that keeps us turning the pages.
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LibraryThing member nbmars
This story begins in Texas in October 1864, when we meet Simon Boudlin, 23 but counting on his youthful appearance to avoid conscription into the Confederate Army. When he finally is impressed, he is placed in a regimental band in Lt. Col. George H. Giddings's Texas Cavalry Battalion. Unfortunately
[The action lasted a total of four hours. Confederate casualties were a few dozen wounded. The federals lost 111 men and four officers captured, and thirty men wounded or killed.]
Following the battle, Simon was ordered to play (along with a small group of other musicians from both armies) at a dinner for the officers. There he was immediately smitten with Doris Dillon, an 18-year-old Irish girl who was indentured for three years to Colonel Webb. (In this book, Webb was the Union officer who ordered the conflict, although in real life it was Colonel Theodore H. Barrett).
Simon sees how Colonel Webb mistreats Doris, but can do no more than play her an Irish tune he hopes conveys his regard for her.
Simon’s skill with music has gotten him out of more than a few scrapes, including when he assaulted a Union soldier for trying to steal his fiddle, his prized Markneukirche violin, which“cost him years of meticulous saving.” [In real life, Markneukirchen is the main town of the small musical instrument-making region in Germany, known for four centuries for high quality brass and string instruments.]
The author writes:
“He knew he did not play music so much as walk into it, as if into a palace of great riches, with rooms opening into other rooms, which opened into still other rooms, and in these rooms were courtyards and fountains with passageways to yet more mysterious space of melody, peculiar intervals, unheard notes.”
Perhaps more critical to his success, his repertoire “seemed to be without end. He had a bottomless supply of waltzes, jigs, reels, hornpipes, and slow airs. Some of the slow airs could bring men and women to a standstill, their eyes brimming with tears for a remembered love or a certain long-lost valley at twilight or another country without war, taken by emotions of loss and exile for which they had no words.”
Here Jiles has indeed captured exactly the nature of music’s appeal.
Simon contrives a way to correspond with Doris through the young boy who is his Irish-American drummer, and they keep track of each other over the next year and a half until he can get to San Antonio to see her again.
First he and his small band of musicians have to make their way across the interior of South Texas, earning money as they go by playing for whoever will hire them. The author’s descriptions of the territory and its people reflect the great deal of research she has made into the post-Civil War era in the Southwest (having fashioned three novels so far in this setting), as shown in this view the characters had of the land after they crossed the Brazos River:
"Then through the river-valley forests on the far side and once again up onto grassland, where groups of feral cattle with great lyre-shaped horns stared at them from a distance. . . . With the recent rains the cenizo was flowering in clouds of magenta and the yucca sent up its white silky candelabras. This was the interior of south Texas, where all the maps faded away, the murky rivers came from unknown sources, and the world’s authority lay in firepower and the loyalty of those who rode with you.”
When Simon arrives in San Antonio, it is not long before both he and Doris are in danger from the evil but (sadly) realistic person of Colonel Webb. I found myself skipping to the end to assuage my anxiety for the characters before I could go back and follow the course of the action.
Evaluation: I never miss the opportunity to read a new book by Paulette Jiles. Her novels explore violent historical periods with ironically poetic eloquence, and in a voice unlike any other author I have read. She does a great deal of research, and then dramatizes conflicts among people in the era about which she is reporting with an unstinting yet lyrical eye.
This novel takes place during the same period as her previous book, News of the World, and in fact, the main character from that book makes a cameo appearance in this one. The post-Civil War period in Texas was one particularly given to dramatic developments given the unsettled status of law in the state and resulting turmoil.
Jiles' emphasis on courage and character, as well as on the pain, naivety, and hope of love, results in an unforgettable stories. This novel is no exception.
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for Simon, this was the regiment that became involved in the last battle of the Civil War at Palmito Ranch near Brownsville, Texas. Although the war had ended, a Union officer apparently was unwilling to go home without accruing some glory from battle, against the express orders of his superiors.[The action lasted a total of four hours. Confederate casualties were a few dozen wounded. The federals lost 111 men and four officers captured, and thirty men wounded or killed.]
Following the battle, Simon was ordered to play (along with a small group of other musicians from both armies) at a dinner for the officers. There he was immediately smitten with Doris Dillon, an 18-year-old Irish girl who was indentured for three years to Colonel Webb. (In this book, Webb was the Union officer who ordered the conflict, although in real life it was Colonel Theodore H. Barrett).
Simon sees how Colonel Webb mistreats Doris, but can do no more than play her an Irish tune he hopes conveys his regard for her.
Simon’s skill with music has gotten him out of more than a few scrapes, including when he assaulted a Union soldier for trying to steal his fiddle, his prized Markneukirche violin, which“cost him years of meticulous saving.” [In real life, Markneukirchen is the main town of the small musical instrument-making region in Germany, known for four centuries for high quality brass and string instruments.]
The author writes:
“He knew he did not play music so much as walk into it, as if into a palace of great riches, with rooms opening into other rooms, which opened into still other rooms, and in these rooms were courtyards and fountains with passageways to yet more mysterious space of melody, peculiar intervals, unheard notes.”
Perhaps more critical to his success, his repertoire “seemed to be without end. He had a bottomless supply of waltzes, jigs, reels, hornpipes, and slow airs. Some of the slow airs could bring men and women to a standstill, their eyes brimming with tears for a remembered love or a certain long-lost valley at twilight or another country without war, taken by emotions of loss and exile for which they had no words.”
Here Jiles has indeed captured exactly the nature of music’s appeal.
Simon contrives a way to correspond with Doris through the young boy who is his Irish-American drummer, and they keep track of each other over the next year and a half until he can get to San Antonio to see her again.
First he and his small band of musicians have to make their way across the interior of South Texas, earning money as they go by playing for whoever will hire them. The author’s descriptions of the territory and its people reflect the great deal of research she has made into the post-Civil War era in the Southwest (having fashioned three novels so far in this setting), as shown in this view the characters had of the land after they crossed the Brazos River:
"Then through the river-valley forests on the far side and once again up onto grassland, where groups of feral cattle with great lyre-shaped horns stared at them from a distance. . . . With the recent rains the cenizo was flowering in clouds of magenta and the yucca sent up its white silky candelabras. This was the interior of south Texas, where all the maps faded away, the murky rivers came from unknown sources, and the world’s authority lay in firepower and the loyalty of those who rode with you.”
When Simon arrives in San Antonio, it is not long before both he and Doris are in danger from the evil but (sadly) realistic person of Colonel Webb. I found myself skipping to the end to assuage my anxiety for the characters before I could go back and follow the course of the action.
Evaluation: I never miss the opportunity to read a new book by Paulette Jiles. Her novels explore violent historical periods with ironically poetic eloquence, and in a voice unlike any other author I have read. She does a great deal of research, and then dramatizes conflicts among people in the era about which she is reporting with an unstinting yet lyrical eye.
This novel takes place during the same period as her previous book, News of the World, and in fact, the main character from that book makes a cameo appearance in this one. The post-Civil War period in Texas was one particularly given to dramatic developments given the unsettled status of law in the state and resulting turmoil.
Jiles' emphasis on courage and character, as well as on the pain, naivety, and hope of love, results in an unforgettable stories. This novel is no exception.
Show Less
LibraryThing member EBT1002
Paulette Jiles has done it again. Set in southeastern Texas in the immediate aftermath of the US Civil War, this is the story of Simon and his ragtag band of musicians, making music and - barely - living. Early in the story, Simon meets Doris, an Irish immigrant indentured to a wealthy Pennsylvania
The story is engaging and charming, poignant and sweet. But it's Jiles' writing that makes this novel memorable. She evokes both the landscape and the era in exquisite prose. She transports the reader so wholly to the time and place, and she inspires such empathy for the characters, the read is sheer pleasure. Highly recommended.
I was provided with a copy of this novel via Early Reviewers.
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family. Ah, this is love. Simon swears to himself that he will find her again, after he has found and purchased some land. He saves and scrimps as his little band makes their way toward San Antonio; he also has one of his buddies write to Doris on his behalf, hoping to keep himself in her consciousness. The story is engaging and charming, poignant and sweet. But it's Jiles' writing that makes this novel memorable. She evokes both the landscape and the era in exquisite prose. She transports the reader so wholly to the time and place, and she inspires such empathy for the characters, the read is sheer pleasure. Highly recommended.
I was provided with a copy of this novel via Early Reviewers.
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LibraryThing member tamidale
Another fabulous read from Paulette Jiles! I don't think many writers can capture the essence of Texas better. In this novel, Jiles introduces readers to Simon, an accomplished fiddler from Kentucky and a young man with big dreams.
Set immediately following the end to the Civil War, Simon finds
When Simon finally finds his love, he also finds quite a bit of trouble awaiting him. Although at times, the story was a bit slow moving, the ending was certainly exciting as Simon finds out whether or not he wins the girl and what sacrifices are involved in doing so.
Jiles paints such a vivid picture of post-war Texas in a time where martial law was in place and emotions were still running high. Having deep roots in Texas, I especially loved this snapshot of what life was like for my ancestors during this time in history. I also loved the little surprise Jiles added to the story, that only readers of her previous work will notice.
Many thanks to William Morrow for allowing me to read an advance copy and give my honest review.
Set immediately following the end to the Civil War, Simon finds
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himself down near Brownsville and decides to set off with a few other musicians to make some money, buy some land and try and find a young woman that he has captured his heart. They travel up the coast of Texas, through Galveston, then Houston, stopping to play along the way so that they have money to live on.When Simon finally finds his love, he also finds quite a bit of trouble awaiting him. Although at times, the story was a bit slow moving, the ending was certainly exciting as Simon finds out whether or not he wins the girl and what sacrifices are involved in doing so.
Jiles paints such a vivid picture of post-war Texas in a time where martial law was in place and emotions were still running high. Having deep roots in Texas, I especially loved this snapshot of what life was like for my ancestors during this time in history. I also loved the little surprise Jiles added to the story, that only readers of her previous work will notice.
Many thanks to William Morrow for allowing me to read an advance copy and give my honest review.
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LibraryThing member browner56
It is late 1864 and the Civil War is beginning to wind down. Simon Boudlin, a 23-year old itinerant musician, has done his best to avoid the conflict by pretending to be a much younger man. Eventually, he is conscripted into the Confederate army and survives one of the last battles of the war in
In Simon the Fiddler, author Paulette Jiles weaves Simon and Doris’ story in a tale that is as rich with atmosphere as it is with character development. As in her wonderful novel News of the World, Jiles has a very special feel for the geography of Texas and she does a masterful job of describing all aspects of both the towns and natural surroundings that Simon moves through on his travels around the state. In fact, it is in these descriptions of the sights, the sounds, and the places where the book really shines. Having been born and raised in Kentucky, Simon is seeing this part of the world for the first time and the author makes us feel as if we are too. She captures beautifully the myriad nuances of this often desolate and lonely landscape, as well as the almost claustrophobic feeling that besets the characters when they find themselves restricted to a well-populated city.
What I found to be less successful, though, was the story itself. Although the author tries to repeat the “journey around post-Civil War Texas” frame of News of the World—Captain Jefferson Kidd, the main character from that earlier effort, even makes a cameo appearance—this novel is simply not as engaging. I never really came to care much for Simon, who frequently acted impulsively in ways that seemed unjustified by his sad upbringing, to find his story to be that interesting. I was willing to be more charmed by Doris than I was, but unfortunately we learn relatively little of her life and backstory for all the time we spend with Simon. The same can be said for some of the supporting characters in the novel, notably Damon and Doroteo, two of Simon’s bandmates. Consequently, while well-crafted and well-written, Simon the Fiddler falls a little short of the high mark the author established with her previous work.
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the Rio Grande valley of Texas. He meets Doris Dillon, a beautiful Irish woman who left home to become an indentured servant to the family of a Union officer, and quickly falls in love with her. However, Doris’ service contract forbids personal relationships and so Simon sets off on a two-year journey to seek his fortune playing in bars and private gatherings as a fiddler in a pickup band. His adventures lead him from the Mexican border to Galveston, Houston, and southern Texas before finally ending up in San Antonio. There, he hopes to reunite with Doris, who has faced constant hardships and dangers of her own, and start a life together.In Simon the Fiddler, author Paulette Jiles weaves Simon and Doris’ story in a tale that is as rich with atmosphere as it is with character development. As in her wonderful novel News of the World, Jiles has a very special feel for the geography of Texas and she does a masterful job of describing all aspects of both the towns and natural surroundings that Simon moves through on his travels around the state. In fact, it is in these descriptions of the sights, the sounds, and the places where the book really shines. Having been born and raised in Kentucky, Simon is seeing this part of the world for the first time and the author makes us feel as if we are too. She captures beautifully the myriad nuances of this often desolate and lonely landscape, as well as the almost claustrophobic feeling that besets the characters when they find themselves restricted to a well-populated city.
What I found to be less successful, though, was the story itself. Although the author tries to repeat the “journey around post-Civil War Texas” frame of News of the World—Captain Jefferson Kidd, the main character from that earlier effort, even makes a cameo appearance—this novel is simply not as engaging. I never really came to care much for Simon, who frequently acted impulsively in ways that seemed unjustified by his sad upbringing, to find his story to be that interesting. I was willing to be more charmed by Doris than I was, but unfortunately we learn relatively little of her life and backstory for all the time we spend with Simon. The same can be said for some of the supporting characters in the novel, notably Damon and Doroteo, two of Simon’s bandmates. Consequently, while well-crafted and well-written, Simon the Fiddler falls a little short of the high mark the author established with her previous work.
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LibraryThing member Felliot
I received an advanced an advanced reader’s copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
If you like historical fiction, you will enjoy this book.
If you like a good story, you will enjoy this book.
If you like old time music, you will really enjoy this book.
I have not (yet) read any of Ms.
What truly sets this book apart is the central role that music plays throughout the story. For this is a story as much about the role that music played in the everyday lives of everyday people as it is about the people themselves. This is a book that comes with its own soundtrack. Even if you don’t know the difference between a jig and a waltz you will quickly hear both in your head as you read Jile’s wonderful (and wonder filled) story.
If you like historical fiction, you will enjoy this book.
If you like a good story, you will enjoy this book.
If you like old time music, you will really enjoy this book.
I have not (yet) read any of Ms.
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Jiles’ previous works, but it is obvious that she is both an accomplished author and musician. The story of Simon the Fiddler is as open as the Texas countryside it is set in. She has done an excellent job of giving the reader a sense life in post-Civil War Texas. The real joy of the book comes from Jile’s lyric and poetic voice as she weaves together the tale of Simon and his band of musical friends with that of Doris the indentured Irish lass and the military family that controls every aspect of her life.What truly sets this book apart is the central role that music plays throughout the story. For this is a story as much about the role that music played in the everyday lives of everyday people as it is about the people themselves. This is a book that comes with its own soundtrack. Even if you don’t know the difference between a jig and a waltz you will quickly hear both in your head as you read Jile’s wonderful (and wonder filled) story.
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LibraryThing member TimBazzett
Simon, a red-headed fiddler, an orphan raised by his great uncle in a livery stable in Paducah, is impressed into the Confederate army at the end of the Civil War and is part of one of the last battles of that war. When it is all over he is part of a "scratch band" for the victorious Union
I had read Paulette Jiles's earlier Civil War novel, ENEMY WOMEN, a dozen or more years ago, and I remember marveling at just how good it was, and passed it along to my mother, who was an avid lover of books too. She loved it too. Jiles seems to have a thing about the U.S. Civil war and its aftermath, because it's been part of her work for a long time now. And these books are every bit as good as Charles Frazier's COLD MOUNTAIN and Jeffrey Lent's AFTER THE FALL. Gritty and realistic, Simon's story also has its softer moments, particularly when he finally meets Doris in person and their personalities instantly meld, through their love of music and quirky sense of humor. And there are other characters that will grab you here too, the other members of Simon's traveling musicians (and yes, I did think of the Brothers Grimm and that story of the traveling troupe of Bremen) - Damon (tin whistle), Dora (guitar) and Patrick (percussion - bodhran). And there is another very minor character, a Captain Kidd, who, with a little research, I found to be the central character of Jiles's previous novel, NEWS OF THE WORLD. (I've GOTTA read that one now.)
SIMON THE FIDDLER has something for everyone in it - history, violence, disease, death, and, of course, a wonderful love story. I loved this book. I cannot recommend it highly enough.
- Tim Bazzett, author of the memoir, BOOKLOVER
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officers. He espies and falls in love with Doris Dillon, a beautiful Irish maid, in service to a cruel quartermaster colonel, and vows to himself he will marry her. He then drifts into post-war, martial law Texas with a few musician friends, making a living, barely, playing in bars and hotels in Galveston and Houston, finally making his way to San Antonio, where he finally is united with Doris. That's the short version, but this is such a damn good story, you really have to read ALL of it to understand Simon, Doris and all the other finely articulated characters of this picaresque tale of SIMON THE FIDDLER. I had read Paulette Jiles's earlier Civil War novel, ENEMY WOMEN, a dozen or more years ago, and I remember marveling at just how good it was, and passed it along to my mother, who was an avid lover of books too. She loved it too. Jiles seems to have a thing about the U.S. Civil war and its aftermath, because it's been part of her work for a long time now. And these books are every bit as good as Charles Frazier's COLD MOUNTAIN and Jeffrey Lent's AFTER THE FALL. Gritty and realistic, Simon's story also has its softer moments, particularly when he finally meets Doris in person and their personalities instantly meld, through their love of music and quirky sense of humor. And there are other characters that will grab you here too, the other members of Simon's traveling musicians (and yes, I did think of the Brothers Grimm and that story of the traveling troupe of Bremen) - Damon (tin whistle), Dora (guitar) and Patrick (percussion - bodhran). And there is another very minor character, a Captain Kidd, who, with a little research, I found to be the central character of Jiles's previous novel, NEWS OF THE WORLD. (I've GOTTA read that one now.)
SIMON THE FIDDLER has something for everyone in it - history, violence, disease, death, and, of course, a wonderful love story. I loved this book. I cannot recommend it highly enough.
- Tim Bazzett, author of the memoir, BOOKLOVER
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LibraryThing member hardlyhardy
Love and war have certain things in common. Each takes us out of our comfort zone. Both can be dangerous. Both can cause us do things we would not otherwise do.
And so we have the situation in “Simon the Fiddler,” the new novel from Paulette Jiles. Simon Boudin, a young introvert who wants only
The end of the war doesn't mean the end of danger for Simon, for by then he is in Texas, now mostly under military control while he and his mates lack proper discharge papers. Their instruments give them opportunities to make a little money, but also make it more difficult for them to stay under the radar.
So why not leave Texas and head for someplace safer? Because that's where Doris Dillon is. She is a pretty Irish immigrant pledged to serve the family of an army officer for a few years. That officer is a cruel man who has eyes for Doris himself, at least when his wife isn't around.
Simon has never met Doris, but he sees her at one of his performances, where he plays an Irish song for her. The pair carry on a secret correspondence, while he pursues her and tries to find a way to rescue her and then get her to marry him. Toward the latter end, he buys some property along the Red River, sight unseen. Why would a fiddler want to become a rancher? Because he believes land might be more of an enticement to this Irish girl than a fiddle. But he doesn't really know this Irish girl.
You may think you know how this is going to end, but Jiles will surprise you. This is a beautifully written, beautifully structured novel that explores new territory in that old story about love and war.
And so we have the situation in “Simon the Fiddler,” the new novel from Paulette Jiles. Simon Boudin, a young introvert who wants only
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to play his fiddle and learn the secret he believes every song contains, manages to avoid conscription until the very end of the War Between the States, when he is forced into a Confederate uniform. His fiddle at least spares him from most front-line duty, and he is placed in an army band with a few other musicians.The end of the war doesn't mean the end of danger for Simon, for by then he is in Texas, now mostly under military control while he and his mates lack proper discharge papers. Their instruments give them opportunities to make a little money, but also make it more difficult for them to stay under the radar.
So why not leave Texas and head for someplace safer? Because that's where Doris Dillon is. She is a pretty Irish immigrant pledged to serve the family of an army officer for a few years. That officer is a cruel man who has eyes for Doris himself, at least when his wife isn't around.
Simon has never met Doris, but he sees her at one of his performances, where he plays an Irish song for her. The pair carry on a secret correspondence, while he pursues her and tries to find a way to rescue her and then get her to marry him. Toward the latter end, he buys some property along the Red River, sight unseen. Why would a fiddler want to become a rancher? Because he believes land might be more of an enticement to this Irish girl than a fiddle. But he doesn't really know this Irish girl.
You may think you know how this is going to end, but Jiles will surprise you. This is a beautifully written, beautifully structured novel that explores new territory in that old story about love and war.
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LibraryThing member Kimaoverstreet
Once again, Paulette Giles has captured the grittiness, eccentricities and larger than life characters of the Old West. Beginning as the Civil War draws to a close, this novel follows Simon the Fiddler and his band of misfit friends as they struggle to survive and find Simon’s love interest.
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Slower in pace than some of Jiles’ other novels, this should still be a hit with her fans. Show Less
LibraryThing member Rosareads
LT Early Reviewers Book: I was three weeks into social-isolation because of the pandemic and needing the distraction only a good book can bring. Simon the Fiddler had arrived a week earlier and sat ignored on a side table. I picked it up and recalled how much I had enjoyed "News of the World" by
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the same author, Paulette Jiles. Needless to say, I jumped right in. Early on I was disappointed. I couldn't figure out where the book was going or if I would enjoy finding out. Then, I was pulled right in and couldn't put the book down. There is much to enjoy in this beautifully written book about love and commitment and war and friendship and music. I certainly recommend, Simon the Fiddler. Show Less
LibraryThing member ErickaS
Set in post-Civil-War 1860s Texas, the story follows Simon, a fiddler recently deserted from the Confederate Army who wanders through small Texas towns eking out a living playing fiddle in bars and public houses with his two companions, Doroteo and Damon. Simon falls in love with Miss Doris Dillon,
Jiles’ writing is sublime. She obviously does her research, but the story was never pedantic. The descriptions of the second-hand clothes the men wore riddled with bullet holes, the dust and grime that covered their hands, the heat and sickness pervading the small towns were absorbing. I was quickly immersed in the kaleidoscope of Simon’s life, each incident bringing twists and changes as he squeaked through one trouble after another. At the core of this novel is the volatile time period and the treacherous Texas environs. The book isn’t so much plot driven as it is simply an experience. Jiles captures the west in uncertain political times, describing the unpredictable lifestyle of the characters against a barren and often dangerous landscape.
Many thanks to LibraryThing and William Morrow / Harper Collins for the advance copy in exchange for my review.
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a young Irish immigrant under contract as governess to Colonel Webb, a lecherous tyrant. Simon and Doris are separated, and the book spans Simon’s life trying to woo her from afar while dodging bar fights and alligators. Jiles’ writing is sublime. She obviously does her research, but the story was never pedantic. The descriptions of the second-hand clothes the men wore riddled with bullet holes, the dust and grime that covered their hands, the heat and sickness pervading the small towns were absorbing. I was quickly immersed in the kaleidoscope of Simon’s life, each incident bringing twists and changes as he squeaked through one trouble after another. At the core of this novel is the volatile time period and the treacherous Texas environs. The book isn’t so much plot driven as it is simply an experience. Jiles captures the west in uncertain political times, describing the unpredictable lifestyle of the characters against a barren and often dangerous landscape.
Many thanks to LibraryThing and William Morrow / Harper Collins for the advance copy in exchange for my review.
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LibraryThing member brangwinn
Not having read _News of the World_ I had no idea I was in for such a treat. First, I had no idea what was happening in Texas during the Civil War or after. This is the first time I had connected the Mexican Revolution timewise to American history. That’s what good historical fiction does it
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helps me connect the dots. Simon’s story was brutal, but gave me a look at Texan who were not cowboys. Now I want to know what happens to Simon and Doris as they head to his newly purchased land. And I want to know what happened to Doroteo? I really liked that guy. Sequel please? Show Less
LibraryThing member Hccpsk
Paulette Jiles writes quiet, meticulously researched historical stories, and Simon the Fiddler is no exception to this successful formula. As the title suggests, Simon Boudlin plays the violin in Texas during the waning days of the Civil War. Caught in the chaos, he and a group of musicians desert
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and travel a dangerous route through the state playing when and where they can get paid. He cannot forget Doris Dillon--the nanny of the Colonel he ran away from--and he dreams of a way to marry her and live a peaceful family life. Jiles captures the lawless and confusing Texas landscape as the group moves from Galveston to Houston to San Antonio, but the story drags as much as the traveling. This is not the tight narrative of Jiles’ beloved News of the World, but a much longer and drawn out one--too much so for me; much of the middle of the book floundered with no real plot. Still, Jiles’ fans and readers of historical fiction may enjoy this interesting look at a time and place not often written about, and enough happens in the last 75 pages to almost make up for the lack of action prior. Show Less
LibraryThing member Asheley
Simon is a musician, traveling around playing his fiddle for anyone that will listen. The Civil War has been going on for years now and he has managed to avoid being forced to fight for either side because of his youthful look and his ability to lie and run. All of that changes when, at the very
Simon has two big goals in life: to buy some land and to find a good wife. It is while he is playing music for a Union officer’s party that he finds THE GIRL: Doris Dillon. She is beautiful and Irish, and she has stolen his heart. The thing is, she is indentured to Officer Webb, bound by agreement to work for him for three years. Simon has decided to wait for her and during this time, he travels around Texas with some of the other members of the Regimental Band he played with during the war. He plans to keep saving up his money so he can buy that land and he can live happily ever after, with Doris.
I completely nerded out while I read Simon the Fiddler. I still am, actually. If you read and loved Mrs. Jiles’ last book, News of the World, you may remember that Simon was one of the characters in that story. Not one of the main characters, but his role was very important. Well THIS story focuses on Simon as the center of the story and actually takes place a few years before News of the World. So we essentially get to see how Simon got to the place he was when we met him first.
For a book-lover, this is one of the best things ever!! It’s like two worlds collide, except both stories occur in the same place: Texas in the 1800’s, after the Civil War, when the United States flag once again flew over Texas. There is a general post-war “uncivilized” feel to the place. The countryside is hot and overrun with bandits and thieves, the terrain war torn in some places. It is across this Texas that Captain Kidd journeyed to bring Johanna home in News of the World, and it is across this same Texas that Simon and the rest of his band play their songs for money. Money to be saved so Simon could buy his land.
The thing that I loved most about this story is the post-war feel to it. Ms. Jiles is super-good at setting the scene, and while I was reading Simon the Fiddler, I felt almost a little bit off-balanced here and there. What I mean is that there is confusion in the entire area about how things should be now that the war is over. Life hasn’t quite gone back to the way things were before the war started, and some places still don’t have accurate, up-to-date news. I love that I could read and put myself in this place, just imagine how uncertain that may have been for people. Back before the time of the internet and news that comes in-real-time. I remember feeling this with News of the World too, but this story takes place earlier, in the immediate time after the war, so I think that confused feeling was slightly more pronounced and accurate.
I also love the setting. LOVE IT. The story feels hot and sweaty and sandy. It feels lawless. It feels like saloons and pubs, like wagons and horses. It feels like old, worn-out war uniforms all over the place because those were the clothes that many people had. It feels like most of the country is still trying to figure out what to do to make life go back to normal.
The story is plenty different, though. While Captain Kidd and Johanna met up and joined for travels early in News of the World, in this story it takes a good while for Simon to meet up with the lovely Doris. Life is not easy for either of them and there is patience required. Simon still travels around (loved that!) but it felt like his travels were a little bit slower because it takes him a while to connect with Doris. This story actually feels a little bit slower all around, probably because saving money takes a while. I’m not entirely sure that Simon’s story punched me in the heart the way Captain Kidd and Johanna did, but that would have been difficult for him to do. An older, rugged man and a young orphaned, kidnapped girl together was bound to pull at my heart. It is for this reason that it isn’t exactly fair to Simon to compare his story to that of Captain Kidd and Johanna (like I’m clearly doing here).
But, listen, I loved this. I loved it so much. I can’t wait for my husband to read it next, because we have shared Paulette Jiles’ books in the past. You certainly do not have to have read the previous book before this one, but it made me infinitely happier and more excited to find out that I knew Simon already.
I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. Thank you, William Morrow Books!
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end of the Civil War, he is caught and made to join the Confederacy. He fights during the last land battle of the war, way down in South Texas. Simon ends up getting put in jail after the war ends because fights a Union soldier that has stolen all of his belongings, including his beloved fiddle.Simon has two big goals in life: to buy some land and to find a good wife. It is while he is playing music for a Union officer’s party that he finds THE GIRL: Doris Dillon. She is beautiful and Irish, and she has stolen his heart. The thing is, she is indentured to Officer Webb, bound by agreement to work for him for three years. Simon has decided to wait for her and during this time, he travels around Texas with some of the other members of the Regimental Band he played with during the war. He plans to keep saving up his money so he can buy that land and he can live happily ever after, with Doris.
I completely nerded out while I read Simon the Fiddler. I still am, actually. If you read and loved Mrs. Jiles’ last book, News of the World, you may remember that Simon was one of the characters in that story. Not one of the main characters, but his role was very important. Well THIS story focuses on Simon as the center of the story and actually takes place a few years before News of the World. So we essentially get to see how Simon got to the place he was when we met him first.
For a book-lover, this is one of the best things ever!! It’s like two worlds collide, except both stories occur in the same place: Texas in the 1800’s, after the Civil War, when the United States flag once again flew over Texas. There is a general post-war “uncivilized” feel to the place. The countryside is hot and overrun with bandits and thieves, the terrain war torn in some places. It is across this Texas that Captain Kidd journeyed to bring Johanna home in News of the World, and it is across this same Texas that Simon and the rest of his band play their songs for money. Money to be saved so Simon could buy his land.
The thing that I loved most about this story is the post-war feel to it. Ms. Jiles is super-good at setting the scene, and while I was reading Simon the Fiddler, I felt almost a little bit off-balanced here and there. What I mean is that there is confusion in the entire area about how things should be now that the war is over. Life hasn’t quite gone back to the way things were before the war started, and some places still don’t have accurate, up-to-date news. I love that I could read and put myself in this place, just imagine how uncertain that may have been for people. Back before the time of the internet and news that comes in-real-time. I remember feeling this with News of the World too, but this story takes place earlier, in the immediate time after the war, so I think that confused feeling was slightly more pronounced and accurate.
I also love the setting. LOVE IT. The story feels hot and sweaty and sandy. It feels lawless. It feels like saloons and pubs, like wagons and horses. It feels like old, worn-out war uniforms all over the place because those were the clothes that many people had. It feels like most of the country is still trying to figure out what to do to make life go back to normal.
The story is plenty different, though. While Captain Kidd and Johanna met up and joined for travels early in News of the World, in this story it takes a good while for Simon to meet up with the lovely Doris. Life is not easy for either of them and there is patience required. Simon still travels around (loved that!) but it felt like his travels were a little bit slower because it takes him a while to connect with Doris. This story actually feels a little bit slower all around, probably because saving money takes a while. I’m not entirely sure that Simon’s story punched me in the heart the way Captain Kidd and Johanna did, but that would have been difficult for him to do. An older, rugged man and a young orphaned, kidnapped girl together was bound to pull at my heart. It is for this reason that it isn’t exactly fair to Simon to compare his story to that of Captain Kidd and Johanna (like I’m clearly doing here).
But, listen, I loved this. I loved it so much. I can’t wait for my husband to read it next, because we have shared Paulette Jiles’ books in the past. You certainly do not have to have read the previous book before this one, but it made me infinitely happier and more excited to find out that I knew Simon already.
I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. Thank you, William Morrow Books!
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LibraryThing member SilversReviews
Simon was able to avoid being conscripted during the war between the states, but on one of his fiddling events he was caught and sent to the front.
Luckily he was conscripted at the very end, and being in the band had allowed him to do a show when the war ended. At the show he saw a girl he
He snuck out of the army compound without discharge papers and headed to the Rio Grande along with his fiddle with hopes of finding Doris.
We follow Simon and three fellow musicians as they make their way in a boat to San Antonio.
When they landed, they had to hide from patrols and find lodging and work. They thankfully found lodging in an abandoned home and found work at different functions and saloons.
They had adventures, and Simon still never forgot about Doris Dillon.
SIMON THE FIDDLER has Ms. Jiles' excellent writing and beautiful detail, but it was a very slow read.
I actually was disappointed since I loved NEWS OF THE WORLD, and was looking for a character to love like Captain Kidd.
If you have time to read beautiful, detailed descriptions and also learn about music, SIMON THE FIDDLER will be a book for you.
This book was not a favorite for me. It dragged and only became interesting in the last 10% of the book. It actually was a struggle to continue reading. 3/5
This book was given to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Luckily he was conscripted at the very end, and being in the band had allowed him to do a show when the war ended. At the show he saw a girl he
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couldn’t keep his eyes off of, and a girl he had to ask around about. He made it his job to earn some money and come back for her.He snuck out of the army compound without discharge papers and headed to the Rio Grande along with his fiddle with hopes of finding Doris.
We follow Simon and three fellow musicians as they make their way in a boat to San Antonio.
When they landed, they had to hide from patrols and find lodging and work. They thankfully found lodging in an abandoned home and found work at different functions and saloons.
They had adventures, and Simon still never forgot about Doris Dillon.
SIMON THE FIDDLER has Ms. Jiles' excellent writing and beautiful detail, but it was a very slow read.
I actually was disappointed since I loved NEWS OF THE WORLD, and was looking for a character to love like Captain Kidd.
If you have time to read beautiful, detailed descriptions and also learn about music, SIMON THE FIDDLER will be a book for you.
This book was not a favorite for me. It dragged and only became interesting in the last 10% of the book. It actually was a struggle to continue reading. 3/5
This book was given to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
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LibraryThing member SamSattler
Paulette Jiles came crashing into my reading world in October 2016 when I met her at the San Antonio Book Festival prior to publication (which had been delayed by about six months) of her News of the World, a book that would eventually become a National Book Award finalist. Jiles offered me one of
“They’d hang a carpenter, a blacksmith, a gambler, or a horse thief but nobody would ever hang a fiddler.” Lieutenant Jacob Whittaker to Simon Boudlin
It’s March 1865 and the Civil War is all but over. In about a month Robert E. Lee will surrender the bulk of his Confederate Army to Ulysses S. Grant in Virginia, effectively ending the war. But Simon Boudlin is not in Virginia; he’s in Texas – and he’s still trying to avoid being conscripted into the Confederate Army. That would not be easy for most twenty-three-year-olds, but Simon doesn’t look anywhere near his age. He is a small, boyish-looking man, who if he shaves very, very closely, can easily convince people that he is too young to fight for the Confederacy. It’s worked up to now, anyway. Then, following a barroom fight in Victoria, Simon learns that rather than being locked up in jail for his part in the brawl, he is finally being conscripted into the service of the Confederate Army – even if, as it turns out, it is only as part of the regimental band.
Following a completely unnecessary battle, one in which men on both sides of the fight are needlessly killed, Simon and a handful of other musicians are called upon to entertain Confederate and Union officers, and their families, as part of the surrender process. There, Simon spots a beautiful young Irish girl and falls in love with her on the spot. Unfortunately for Simon and Doris, she is indentured to a Union officer as governess to his daughter and is only six months into her three-year contract with the man. Simon is barely able to speak with her before she is off to San Antonio with the officer and his family to complete her years of service.
Simon, though, cannot get Doris out of his mind. He will spend the next two years playing his fiddle all over Texas, trying desperately to become a man of means so that he can someday make Doris his wife. But it won’t be easy for either of them.
Bottom Line: Paulette Jiles writes beautifully about a period of Texas history during which life could still be rather primitive and dangerous for many of the state’s residents. Much of the narrative takes place in Galveston and Houston, two cities that barely resemble the cities they are today. Having lived in Houston for most of my life, I found it intriguing to imagine, even with the place names I recognized, a city so different from the one I have known for the past fifty years. Paulette Jiles made me see and smell that city and others like it. If you are a fan of well-written, solidly-researched historical fiction, Simon the Fiddler is a book you should not miss.
Review Copy provided by Publishe
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a handful of the uncorrected proofs she had with her that day, and after a ten-minute conversation with her and author John C. Kerr, it was time for me to head back to Houston. Little did I suspect on that drive home that News of the World was about to become one of my all-time favorite books, but it did. And then, we Paulette Jiles fans waited over two years for a new book from her. Simon the Fiddler, published in April 2020, is that book.“They’d hang a carpenter, a blacksmith, a gambler, or a horse thief but nobody would ever hang a fiddler.” Lieutenant Jacob Whittaker to Simon Boudlin
It’s March 1865 and the Civil War is all but over. In about a month Robert E. Lee will surrender the bulk of his Confederate Army to Ulysses S. Grant in Virginia, effectively ending the war. But Simon Boudlin is not in Virginia; he’s in Texas – and he’s still trying to avoid being conscripted into the Confederate Army. That would not be easy for most twenty-three-year-olds, but Simon doesn’t look anywhere near his age. He is a small, boyish-looking man, who if he shaves very, very closely, can easily convince people that he is too young to fight for the Confederacy. It’s worked up to now, anyway. Then, following a barroom fight in Victoria, Simon learns that rather than being locked up in jail for his part in the brawl, he is finally being conscripted into the service of the Confederate Army – even if, as it turns out, it is only as part of the regimental band.
Following a completely unnecessary battle, one in which men on both sides of the fight are needlessly killed, Simon and a handful of other musicians are called upon to entertain Confederate and Union officers, and their families, as part of the surrender process. There, Simon spots a beautiful young Irish girl and falls in love with her on the spot. Unfortunately for Simon and Doris, she is indentured to a Union officer as governess to his daughter and is only six months into her three-year contract with the man. Simon is barely able to speak with her before she is off to San Antonio with the officer and his family to complete her years of service.
Simon, though, cannot get Doris out of his mind. He will spend the next two years playing his fiddle all over Texas, trying desperately to become a man of means so that he can someday make Doris his wife. But it won’t be easy for either of them.
Bottom Line: Paulette Jiles writes beautifully about a period of Texas history during which life could still be rather primitive and dangerous for many of the state’s residents. Much of the narrative takes place in Galveston and Houston, two cities that barely resemble the cities they are today. Having lived in Houston for most of my life, I found it intriguing to imagine, even with the place names I recognized, a city so different from the one I have known for the past fifty years. Paulette Jiles made me see and smell that city and others like it. If you are a fan of well-written, solidly-researched historical fiction, Simon the Fiddler is a book you should not miss.
Review Copy provided by Publishe
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LibraryThing member banjo123
This is the story of Simon (a fiddler) towards the end and right after the American Civil War, in Texas. This was a fascinating time in history, and Jiles does an amazing job with the historical facts and the sense of place. I loved the descriptions of San Antonio.
She also gives us wonderful
I think that [News of the World], Jiles' earlier book, set in a similar time, is better, but this is very close to as good.
She also gives us wonderful
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characters, Simon is feisty, but has a tenderhearted side, and a longing for home and family. Doris, his love interest, an Irish immigrant in a difficult situation, has more grit and guile than meets the eye. I think that [News of the World], Jiles' earlier book, set in a similar time, is better, but this is very close to as good.
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LibraryThing member Maydacat
By appearing younger than his actual age, Simon hopes to avoid conscription into the Confederate Army. His luck runs out towards the end of war, but his talent as a fiddler lands him in a relatively safe position in that regiment’s band. A chance performance to play for officers from both sides
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has him glimpsing the young and pretty governess of a northern officer, and he plays a song she requests. She goes off with the officer and his family, and Simon has fallen compulsively and completely in love. His quest to find her, with the ultimate goal of marriage, consumes him. This well-written novel paints a very descriptive picture of that time period, from the decimation of the land and its people, to the extreme poverty and hard-scrabble living just to get food and shelter to the utter horror of yellow fever. The language the author uses flows like water in a quiet stream, it is so smooth. The characters are complex and well-defined, and the plot is compelling in its simplicity. The author does an excellent job of making each character seem so real and their plight so heart-rending, that the reader can’t help but feel empathy for Simon and his ragtag band of musicians as they search for the almost-indentured governess. This book is what historical fiction should be. Show Less
LibraryThing member SoubhiKiewiet
Having never read anything by the author before, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I was invested in Simon’s story right from the start; as he was forced to join the Confederate Army against his will just at the very end of the Civil War. He survives the single battle he has to fight, manages to
This isn’t a fast paced book until the last few chapters, but the writing is lovely, and I liked Simon’s determination and spirit. I would absolutely read more by Paulette Jiles!
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save his fiddle from a thief, and then is made to play music for a celebration of the end of the war, along with soldiers from both sides of the battle. There he meets Dorris and immediately decides he’s going to marry her one day. From here the story unfolds as Simon and his friends and band mates travel across Texas playing music and saving the money needed to buy property, all with the intent of finding Dorris again and becoming her husband. This isn’t a fast paced book until the last few chapters, but the writing is lovely, and I liked Simon’s determination and spirit. I would absolutely read more by Paulette Jiles!
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LibraryThing member nancyadair
She had me at Jock of Hazeldean.
Simon the fiddler had passed for fifteen years old, traveling from Paducah to Texas while evading the Confederate conscription men. People valued his gift of music and protected him.
Simon played Jock of Hazeldean at the barbecue party, a Scottish ballad of a girl who
He "had a bottomless supply of waltzes, jigs, reels, hornpipes, and slow airs", the last "could bring men and women to a standstill" as the music raised memories of love and homeland, life before the war.
I personally loved the references to the music Simon plays. MacPherson's Lament tells the story of a condemned man who breaks his violin rather allow anyone else to play it. Lorena was a sentimental ballad, the most popular song of the war and was featured in Ken Burn's series. Doris asks Simon to play The Minstrel Boy, an Irish tune beloved by soldiers throughout time. Other songs mentioned include Shenandoah, the slow air Death and the Sinner, The Red River Valley, and Robin Adair (the song that gave my grandmother, mother, me and a cousin our middle names).
It was in the last days of the war Simon was found by the Confederates who take him for the regimental band. At war's end, Simon and other musicians traveled together, "servants of music and not of the state," seeking their fortune.
So it came that Simon played at a barbeque and saw the dark-haired girl in the audience who becomes his lodestar. To escape Ireland, Doris Dillon had signed a contract as an indentured servant to an elegant family ruled by a corrupt Colonel.
Every choice Simon makes afterward is rooted in his goal of becoming a man who can support Doris as his wife.
Texas was a shifting battleground for years, and after the Civil War vast areas were outside the arm of any law. The musicians traverse the state, living in abandoned places while entertaining polite society. They struggle to earn money for essentials and yet Simon saves up to purchase land of his own.
Throughout their adventures, Simon tries to avoid trouble, but he is undaunted in seeking to win Doris's love. He risks everything to save her from the unhappiness of her situation, for the Colonel preys upon the girl, whispering she will succumb to him in the end.
The climax involves music. While Simon is playing the Flowers of Edinburgh a disgruntled former band mate cries out for the lewd Shanty Hog-Eye Man. Simon finds himself in a fight for his life.
Simon the Fiddler is a romantic tale of a knight in homespun who saves an immigrant girl from the clutches of a drunk predator. It is a tribute to the power of music. And it is a vivid picture of a world broken by a devastating war.
I received an ARC from the publisher through LibraryThing. My review is fair and unbiased.
Simon the fiddler had passed for fifteen years old, traveling from Paducah to Texas while evading the Confederate conscription men. People valued his gift of music and protected him.
Simon played Jock of Hazeldean at the barbecue party, a Scottish ballad of a girl who
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refuses the hand of a Lord to run off with her true love.He "had a bottomless supply of waltzes, jigs, reels, hornpipes, and slow airs", the last "could bring men and women to a standstill" as the music raised memories of love and homeland, life before the war.
I personally loved the references to the music Simon plays. MacPherson's Lament tells the story of a condemned man who breaks his violin rather allow anyone else to play it. Lorena was a sentimental ballad, the most popular song of the war and was featured in Ken Burn's series. Doris asks Simon to play The Minstrel Boy, an Irish tune beloved by soldiers throughout time. Other songs mentioned include Shenandoah, the slow air Death and the Sinner, The Red River Valley, and Robin Adair (the song that gave my grandmother, mother, me and a cousin our middle names).
It was in the last days of the war Simon was found by the Confederates who take him for the regimental band. At war's end, Simon and other musicians traveled together, "servants of music and not of the state," seeking their fortune.
So it came that Simon played at a barbeque and saw the dark-haired girl in the audience who becomes his lodestar. To escape Ireland, Doris Dillon had signed a contract as an indentured servant to an elegant family ruled by a corrupt Colonel.
Every choice Simon makes afterward is rooted in his goal of becoming a man who can support Doris as his wife.
Texas was a shifting battleground for years, and after the Civil War vast areas were outside the arm of any law. The musicians traverse the state, living in abandoned places while entertaining polite society. They struggle to earn money for essentials and yet Simon saves up to purchase land of his own.
Throughout their adventures, Simon tries to avoid trouble, but he is undaunted in seeking to win Doris's love. He risks everything to save her from the unhappiness of her situation, for the Colonel preys upon the girl, whispering she will succumb to him in the end.
The climax involves music. While Simon is playing the Flowers of Edinburgh a disgruntled former band mate cries out for the lewd Shanty Hog-Eye Man. Simon finds himself in a fight for his life.
Simon the Fiddler is a romantic tale of a knight in homespun who saves an immigrant girl from the clutches of a drunk predator. It is a tribute to the power of music. And it is a vivid picture of a world broken by a devastating war.
I received an ARC from the publisher through LibraryThing. My review is fair and unbiased.
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Awards
Philosophical Society of Texas Book Prize (Winner — 2020)
Call number
FIC K Jil