Simon the Fiddler by Paulette Jiles

I was a huge fan of NEWS OF THE WORLD and was over the moon to be back in the wilds of old Texas again. This is a story of a good man who doesn't want to be violent (unless you touch his fiddle) but the world doesn't always allow him to stay silent or defenseless. Simon does his best to protect his fellow musicians and earn the love of an Irish governess he falls in love with from afar. He is a gentle soul caught in a violent wind of post-civil war Texas. The story is woven with peppery phrases and soulful ballads with characters you care deeply about. You finish the last page and just want more - it doesn't get any better than that. Every Texan should read this as well as lovers of well written western historical fiction and stories where the kind-hearted hero gets the girl.