← Back to discovery

Simon the Fiddler

Paulette Jiles

20201 pagesabout 5–10 minutes
2020
first published
  • 2020HarperCollins Publishers · 352 pages · ENGISBN 9780062966766
  • 2021William Morrow & Company · 368 pagesISBN 9780062966759
  • 2020HarperCollins and Blackstone Publishing · 1 pagesISBN 9781094107202
  • 2020William Morrow · 352 pages · ENGISBN 9780062966742

"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 Dillon, 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."--Provided by publisher.

How it feels

AtmosphereGritty

How it reads

Worth knowing

ViolenceFrequent
Romance levelSubplot

When and where

ThemesWarLove

Content notes

  • Warmoderateunreviewed
How do you feel?