The release date for the English version of 'Simon the Fiddler' by
Paulette Jiles is Apr 2020. If you enjoy this novel, it is available for buy as a paperback from Barnes & Noble or Indigo, as an ebook on the Amazon Kindle store, or as an audiobook on Audible.
This tale, which takes place toward the close of the Civil War, centers on a traveling fiddler, a motley crew of musicians who accompany him in his quest for a job, and the endearing young Irish woman who wins his heart.
The protracted and savage War between the States is coming to an end in March 1865. Twenty-three-year-old Simon Boudlin has avoided military duty up to this point, but after getting into a bar fight in Victoria, Texas, he is forced to enlist in the Confederate Army. Fortunately, his skill as a fiddler lands him a relatively simple gig with a regimental band.
Simon and his bandmates are asked to perform for commanders and their families from both sides of the fight a few weeks later, on the eve of the Confederate surrender. There, the fiddler can't help but observe Doris Mary Dillon, an Irish indentured girl serving as a governess to the daughter of a Union colonel.
Following the capitulation, Simon and Doris part ways. However, Simon swears he will one day locate the lovely Irish woman again since he can't let her go.