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 Aherne, 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.
Incandescent in its beauty, told in Paulette Jiles's trademark spare yet lilting style, Simon the Fiddler
is a captivating, bittersweet tale of the chances a devoted man will
take, and the lengths he will go to fulfill his heart's yearning.
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