News of the World by Paulette Jiles

 I had wanted to read this story prior to seeing the film. Most everything with Tom Hanks is gold, and I did not want that influencing my review of the book.

The story follows Captain Johnathan Kidd, who travels from town-to-town reading newspapers to the locals—most who did not read in that era. In one town, he is asked to bring a young girl who had been captured and raised by the Kiowa natives and had recently been released. The girl, Johanna, is no longer part of the white race, but has converted fully to the native way of life.

Although the story is true to the era and has a good story, the telling of it is drawn out. Having been a fan of Louis Lamour and other western writers, I was hoping for more story. The premise of a child being returned to civilization is sound and historical, but I would have loved to have seen her experiences, even through her recollections or through her conversations with Captain Kidd.