The Color of Lightning
From the Author of the National Book Award Finalist News of the World
"Meticulously researched and beautifully crafted.... This is glorious work." -- Washington Post
"A gripping, deeply relevant book." -- New York Times Book Review
From Paulette Jiles, author of the critically acclaimed New York Times bestsellers Enemy Women and Stormy Weather, comes a stirring work of fiction set on the untamed Texas frontier in the aftermath of the Civil War. One of only twelve books longlisted for the 2009 Scotiabank Giller Prize--one of Canada's most prestigious literary awards--The Color of Lightning is a beautifully rendered and unforgettable re-examination of one of the darkest periods in U.S. history.
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Paulette Jiles is a novelist, poet, and memoirist. She is the author of Cousins, a memoir, and the novels Enemy Women, Stormy Weather, The Color of Lightning, Lighthouse Island, Simon the Fiddler, and News of the World, which was a finalist for the 2016 National Book Award. She lives on a ranch near San Antonio, Texas.
"Elegiac in tone, the novel is ful of fierce, austere poetry, as well as hyms to the Texas landscape."--New York Times Book Review
"Jiles' spare and melancholy prose is the perfect language for this tale in which survival necessitates brutality."--Seattle Times on THE COLOR OF LIGHTNING
"[A] meticulously researched and beautifully crafted story . . . this is glorious work."--Washington Post on THE COLOR OF LIGHTNING
"A gripping, deeply relevant book."--New York Times Book Review on THE COLOR OF LIGHTNING
"A rousing, character-driven tale."--Kirkus Reviews on THE COLOR OF LIGHTNING
"Jiles colors... historical facts in prose that captures the imagination, allowing her audience to understand the diverse cultures struggling to coexist in this seemingly harsh land."--Historical Novels Review
"Jiles is an ardent student of history, and through extensive research is able to reimagine life in post-Civil War Texas and create believable, multi-layered characters with remarkable verisimilitude."--San Antonio Express-News
"Stick a thumb into any page of Paulette Jiles's The Color of Lightning and you'll pull out a fine prose plum."--Texas Monthly on THE COLOR OF LIGHTNING
"A remarkably engaging story. . . . Jiles's description is memorable and evocative."--Denver Post on THE COLOR OF LIGHTNING
"Jiles never reduces her cast of characters to stock stereotypes, tackling a traumatic and tragic episode in American history with sensitivity and assurance."--Booklist on THE COLOR OF LIGHTNING
