News of the World

I don't know why but I had mix feelings about this book. I did like the story but I didn't. Nice story about an older soldier that helped a little girl out who was captured by the Kiowas.
I believe that relationship came about with Jefferson Kidd being like a grandfather (Kontah) to Johanna because Jefferson was a father himself. He protected his children. Why make matters worse. Not everyone wanted war
It's pretty neat that he traveled from town to town with newspapers to read aloud the news of the day from around the world even. As a retired soldier he did this for the people for 10 cents. From the beginning, he would think how great it was to travel with a message from one unit to another. He had responsibilities to get that message across. No wonder he went in the printing business after that. It takes dedication to get news out so the town will know what's going on in the world. He believed if people had true knowledge of the world perhaps they would not take up arms, and perhaps he could be this in between of the news of the world. And the world would be more peaceful

Why does Kidd worry what will become of Johanna when she's returned to her German family? He worries that they use their captives for work and not try to let them be to get back to their old lives in their own way. Which the Captain and Johanna connect and there is a trust that she feels.

The tensions between the Indians, whites, soldiers and civilization of how America at a time wasn't sure if they were going to be alright. These tensions do underlie the story of the Captain and Johanna just by the culture she picked up. A white soldier with a girl that acted like she was going to war like the Indians. When Kidd traveled  on his own he was able to move around without a thought. Now with a child he needed to find different ways of surviving. Including surviving a fight with Almay which probably wouldn't happen if he wasn't with Johanna.

In Jefferson Kidd's journey with Johanna he felt he was drawn back in the stream of things because he had a life to protect. I think it means that after the war, and his printing business there wasn't really anything he truly long for. Sure he wanted to be with his daughters, sadly his wife passed. But when he had someone to protect, a job that he must not fail, it was like the old days.

Now for what I didn't like about the story. Although I appreciate the author for closing the chapters on the characters. And we all know their end story, and didn't like how the author jammed everything in that I believe it was the last two chapters. It would of been nice to have that woven in to their chapters.
I do like how Johanna Kidd's life turned out. She gets to start a new life. And seems like Jefferson Kidd did get to live a full life after all.

I give News of the World 3

It feels that the author ran out of what to write and we had to wait til the end with this information.