Union soldier John Chenneville is a changed man when the Civil War ends. Nearly killed and suffering from a traumatic head injury, upon his return home to Missouri, he learns about the vicious killing of his sister, her husband and their infant child. Determined to seek justice and track down the killer, John must first recover his memory and strength to do so.
After a year of rebuilding, John is even more obsessed with finding this cold-blooded monster, and sets out after him on a journey deep into the lawless country of Texas. Along the way, he meets some decent folks who assist him in his quest, including Belle, a mysterious female telegrapher. Though John is drawn to Belle and longs for normalcy and a future, he cannot veer from his path until he satisfies his need for justice. Whether or not John will be punished for dispensing that justice, or even survive the eventual confrontation with his sister’s killer, bears little relevance to him.
Chenneville by Paulette Jiles is indeed a “novel of murder, loss, and vengeance,” but it is also a lovingly rendered work of historical fiction about a desperate, honorable man. With picture perfect descriptions of the Texas landscape, impeccably researched historical details of the era, and fascinating information on the lost art of telegraphers, you’ll want to resist devouring this slim novel in a single sitting. As with Jiles’ bestseller News of the World, this reader would have liked to spend a bit more time in this book’s world. Place your hold today!
-Carol
Read it or Weep 