Book Club Discussion Questions
For supplemental discussion material see our Beyond the Book article, Late 19th Century Texas and our BookBrowse Review of News of the World.
Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!
Introduction
It is 1870 and Captain Jefferson Kyle Kidd travels through
northern Texas, giving live
readings to paying audiences
hungry for news of the world. An elderly widower who has
lived through three wars and fought in two of them, the
captain enjoys his rootless, solitary existence.
In Wichita Falls, he is offered a $50 gold piece to deliver a
you
ng orphan to her relatives in San Antonio. Four years
earlier, a band of Kiowa raiders killed Johanna's parents and sister; sparing the little girl, they
raised her as one of their own. Recently rescued by the U.S. army, the ten-year-old has once
again been torn away from the only home she knows.
Their 400-mile journey south through unsettled territory and unforgiving terrain proves difficult
and at times dangerous. Johanna has forgotten the English language, tries to escape at every
opportunity, throws away her shoes, and refuses to act "civilized." Yet as the miles pass, the two
lonely survivors tentatively begin to trust each other, forging a bond that marks the difference
between life and death in this treacherous land.
Arriving in San Antonio, the reunion is neither happy nor welcome. The captain must hand
Johanna over to an aunt and uncle she does not remember
strangers who regard her as an
unwanted burden. A respectable man, Captain Kidd is faced with a terrible choice: abandon the
girl to her fate or
become
in the eyes of the law
a kidnapper himself. Exquisitely rendered
and morally complex, News of the World is a brilliant work of historical fiction that explores the
boundaries of family, responsibility, honor, and trust.
Questions for Discussion
- Discuss Captain Jefferson Kyle Kidd's work as a newspaper reader. What does he bring
to his
audience, and what does he gain from his work besides financial compensation?
- Why does Kidd accept the difficult job of returning Johanna home? What drives him to
complete the job despite the danger and obstacles?
- Why do you think Johanna wants to stay with her Kiowa family? What do you think she
remembers of her life before she was taken?
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- How does the author develop themes of identity and belonging throughout the narrative?
- What role does the setting play in shaping the characters' decisions and relationships?
- Discuss how the ending reframes the events of the story. Were you surprised?
Unless otherwise stated, this discussion guide is reprinted with the permission of William Morrow.
Any page references refer to a USA edition of the book, usually the trade paperback version, and may vary in other editions.