{"product_id":"simon-the-fiddler-a-novel-isbn-9780062966759","title":"Simon the Fiddler: A Novel","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe critically acclaimed, bestselling author of \u003cem\u003eNews of the World\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eEnemy Women\u003c\/em\u003e 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.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWeeks 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAfter 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIncandescent in its beauty, told in Paulette Jiles’s trademark spare yet lilting style, \u003cem\u003eSimon the Fiddler\u003c\/em\u003e 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\"Jiles’ sparse but lyrical writing is a joy to read. . . . Lose yourself in this entertaining tale.” \u003c\/strong\u003e— \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eAssociated Press\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e | \u003cp\u003e“Jiles makes Texas in the 1800s hot and palpable for her readers, edgy and lawless, but the story also sings with melody.”  - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eBook Trib\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Beautifully told with lyrical descriptions, the novel illuminates the everyday struggles of the era.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eChristian Science Monitor\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“In \u003cem\u003eSimon the Fiddler\u003c\/em\u003e we once again accompany a cast of intriguing characters on a suspenseful Texas-based quest just after the Civil War. . . . A crackling-good adventure tale.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eMinneapolis Star Tribune\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“The reader is treated to a kind of alchemy on the page when character, setting and song converge at all the right notes, generating an authentic humanity that is worth remembering and celebrating.”  - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Jiles’ sparse but lyrical writing is a joy to read. . . . A beautifully written book and a worthy follow-up to \u003cem\u003eNews of the World\u003c\/em\u003e.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eAssociated Press\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Endearing . . . And when the final battle royal arrives in San Antonio, it’s just the rousing ballad we want to hear.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eWashington Post\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Jiles’s limber tale satisfies with welcome splashes of comedy and romance.”  - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Luminescent prose. . . . Jiles’ timeworn territory provides a cozy escape. - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eLos Angeles Times\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Vividly evocative and steeped in American folkways: more great work from a master storyteller.”  - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews (starred review)\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Imbued with the dust, grit, and grime of Galveston at the close of the Civil War, \u003cem\u003eSimon the Fiddler\u003c\/em\u003e immerses readers in the challenges of Reconstruction. Jiles brings her singular voice to the young couple's travails, her written word as lyrical and musical as Simon's bow raking over his strings. Loyal Jiles readers and fans of Anthony Doerr's \u003cem\u003eAll the Light We Cannot See\u003c\/em\u003e and Elizabeth Strout's \u003cem\u003eOlive Kitteridge\u003c\/em\u003e will adore the author's latest masterpiece.\"  - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eBooklist (starred review)\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"[Jiles's] description of Simon and Doris traveling on separate journeys across the Texas landscape is superb, causing us to feel the elation and sense of possibility that rises in the hearts of man, woman and beast in setting out on the road.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eWall Street Journal\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"William Morrow Paperbacks","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44889436684517,"sku":"NP9780062966759","price":16.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9780062966759.jpg?v=1730231254","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/products\/simon-the-fiddler-a-novel-isbn-9780062966759","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}