Can't wait to watch the movie! Capt. Kidd is just trying to live a solitary life he wants to and has an unwanted child thrust at him. He tries not to connect to her wildness but the circumstances prevent the void and he must protect her at all cost. Great read; moves quickly.

Excellent. A must read!

This was a very good read. The relationship between Grandpa and the young captive girl is very moving to see transpire. I highly recommend this book.
Tina43

I returned this book to the library months ago, but it just keeps getting auto-renewed instead of checked in..?

Great adventure tale... lots of action.

And now the movie. Powerful read for this dark winter.

It is 1870 and we find ourselves in the company of Captain Kidd in northern Texas. Captain Kidd is 71 and earns his living by traveling throughout the territory and reading news stories to paying audiences hungry for information about the world beyond their small communities. In Wichita Falls he is engaged to return a 10 year old girl, Johanna, to her distant relatives who live near San Antonio. Johanna was taken by Kiowa after they killed the rest of her immediate family and has been recently "rescued" by an Agent. She has lived with her Kiowa family for four years and has forgotten all traces of her previous life. During the long trip to San Antonio the Captain earns Johanna's trust and she earns his love and respect. There are many dangers which present the most exciting parts of the story. It is a true "western" in that there is an abundance of description of the landscapes through which they travel and they meet many unusual characters, some kind, some evil. The Captain's evolution from feeling a commitment to honor his engagement to a deep, fatherly love for Johanna was, for me, the strength of the book.

The author's notes were interesting. The Captain Kidd character was based on a real life Caesar Kydd who actually traveled northern Texas reading news stories to gatherings. Most interesting was the phenomenon that repeatedly children who were taken captive by Native Americans and who lived among them for even as short a time period as one year, resisted being "returned" to their native cultures and showed no signs of having memories of or preference for their previous lives.

Such a sweet & heartfelt read. It was a little hard to get into at first but quickly became one I couldn’t put down !

This novel was engrossing, and for me it flew by in one day. The characters are well developed and as the book went on, the feeling of companionship that developed through a shared journey felt real and earned. A good gateway to westerns as well, with some common themes and time period.

One of my most favorite books. Gave to Carla.