Fictitious tales of American Civil War heroes abound and many novels exist that portray the realities of the war between the states. Most authors only tackle the time of the fighting and the few years before the Civil War. What is seen less often are stories related to the struggle of Americans dealing with the uncertain years directly after the war. Simon the Fiddler by Paulette Jiles is a novel entirely focused on the aftermath of the American Civil War and the journey of a young love-struck fiddler.
Simon had been careful during the war and had successfully evaded conscription by both Union and Confederate soldiers. Though he is in his early twenties, he doesn't look a day older than sixteen, making it appear he is too young to be in the army. Unfortunately, his luck finally runs out and he is forced into the Confederate army. The war is nearly over by this time and he only experiences one battle. As a fiddler, he becomes part of the band and on the eve of the Confederacy surrender, plays with his band mates at a military dinner. It's there that he sees Doris Dillon, a governess for the daughter of Colonel Franklin Webb of the Union Army. He is awestruck by her beauty and brilliance and determines to win her heart. Yet she is under contract and cannot leave the family of Colonel Webb until it expires. Simon sets out on an adventure with three of his band mates to make a living as traveling musicians in the wild state of Texas. Nearly lawless in some places and entirely lawless in others, Texas offers a former soldier a chance to make a new name and new life for himself and the woman he loves.
Simon the Fiddler was not entirely what I expected. It was much more of a love story than I had originally thought, with romantic sentiments being shared between the two fated lovers with subtlety and tenderness. I enjoyed many of the twists in certain chapters and found many of the scenes to be well written with beautiful analogies and captivating comparisons to the natural world. This book was written at a time when Texas was full of wide open spaces and an abundance of wild creatures and the author uses this to its fullest advantage. One chapter partly focuses on Doris' experience riding in a covered wagon traveling across Texas. This was one of my favorite sections because of the author's fantastic skill with words and descriptions. The one negative I have with the book is at times the pacing was a bit slow and I felt as though some scenes were just filler pieces. I would recommend this book to Romance and Historical Fiction readers alike.
~Abigail C.
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