I wanted to like this one so much more than I did. I found it uninspiring and just difficult to settle into the writing. Overall, a disappointment.

5 shining stars

An epic adventure tale, a love story, a Western, a novel of murder, loss, and vengeance. What’s not to love!?!

Westerns are not my typical genre of choice. Countless authors explore journeys, both real, historical, and imagined. Many books portray 'good' characters well. Jiles explores the complexities in life and revenge in a bygone era. No one is wearing a white hat or a black one. Chenneville, my second Jiles book, weaves an 1860s southern setting with wonderfully-drawn, multifaceted characters on an enthralling adventure. Entertaining, educational, endearing, emotional, explosive, engaging.

“Union soldier John Chenneville suffered a traumatic head wound in battle. His recovery took the better part of a year as he struggled to regain his senses and mobility. By the time he returned home, the Civil War was over, but tragedy awaited. John’s beloved sister and her family had been brutally murdered.”

The vivid writing transported me hundreds of miles south and 160 years in the past, shortly after the Civil War. I grew to admire and care for John Chenneville, as he recovers from a war injury and seeks revenge on the evil Dodd. I rooted for him to get the bad guy, but not destroy his own life.

Highly recommended! I hope it turns into a movie so more people read this, but the book will, as usual, be better than the movie. Thank you Ms. Jiles. Not enough authors forge together Exceptional story, Extraordinary characters and Exquisite writing as well as you do.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I wanted to like this book more than I did.
It was a struggle from the first chapter. My interested waned the more I got into the book. I found the characters one dimensional and rather flat.
I also didn’t care for the ending. This book just wasn’t for me.

After being injured in the Civil War John Cheneville’s injuries were so severe his nurse Lyman started crying when he woke up something he and the doctor thought wouldn’t happen. He was far from being out of the woods however because although he could walk and talk were certain things about his life he couldn’t remember so when going through his rucksack he found letters from his mother telling him his one and only sister Layla got married became a mother named her little boy after him and then Layla little John and her husband were all shot to death at the whim of a miscreant. That thought would marinate in his injured brain for over a year after going home to Missouri before he knew the only thing to make him feel better would be to get revenge. Before it’s over however AJ Dodd also known by many other names will not be the only man wanted for murder with Bing wanted by the Marshall will not stop John Cheneville this journey will find him ill and falling in love and he is not so set on revenge that he doesn’t have time to stop Linda helping hand and do the right thing. I love this book I read News Of The World by Miss Jiles and that is a book I recommend to anyone who asked me for a good book recommendation it to us that in the wild west and will also leave you with that feeling of just having read an awesome book when you’re done. I did not know they were other books by the author I hadn’t read but I will soon rectify that especially since in this book we got to hear about the fiddle player and the newspaper reader and so I’m hoping in her other books we may see John again this was a great book and one I definitely recommend a total five-star read. I want to thank William Morrow and Net Galley for another grape free ark please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

As editor of BookBrowse, I requested Chenneville as background reading for a review we had scheduled. I absolutely loved the book, as did our reviewer; and I have talked it up in a number of places online and in-person since.

Consumed with grief and driven by vengeance, a man undertakes an unrelenting odyssey across the lawless post–Civil War frontier, seeking redemption. Union soldier John Chenneville suffered a traumatic head wound in battle. His recovery took the better part of a year as he struggled to regain his senses and mobility. By the time he returned home, the Civil War was over, but tragedy awaited. John’s beloved sister and her family had been brutally murdered.

Traveling through the unforgiving landscape of a shattered nation amid Reconstruction, John braves winter storms and confronts desperate people in pursuit of their killer. Untethered, single-minded in purpose, he will not be deterred. Not by the U.S. Marshal, who threatens to arrest him for murder should he succeed. Victoria Reavis, the telegraphist aiding him in his death-driven quest, hopes he’ll choose to embrace life with her instead of in prison.

John Chenneville fought in the Civil War on the side of the Union forces. He was badly injured but even more troubling was the news when he returned home to St. Louis. There he learns his dear sister, brother-in-law and baby were brutally murdered. No one was arrested and no one seemed to really care about the deaths. His sister had married a former Confederate soldier so it’s possible that her husband’s loyalty was a contributing factor. Incensed over the tragic deaths and the inaction of the local authorities, John sets off on a personal mission to track down the murderer and deliver his own justice.

The character John is reminiscent of Capt. Jefferson Kidd from Jiles’ earlier novel, News of the World. He’s a man of few words, a loner, a man committed to doing what’s right. Chenneville travels, like Kidd, across the Western landscape. Where they differ is in their intent – Chenneville is seeking retribution. But both men are likeable and both will not be deterred. Jiles sketches these men with a gentle, loving hand. They follow their own sense of right and wrong and are quiet in their endeavors. For lovers of Westerns, of Jiles’ earlier books and those who like a story of a man determined to right a wrong, this book will have great appeal.

See full review on The Atlanta Journal-Constitution website:

Missouri author Paulette Jiles explores the lawlessness of the post-Civil War South in her epic historical novel “Chenneville” that follows a wounded Union war hero on a mission to avenge his sister’s murder. John Chenneville is a tough guy with a heart of gold. Encountering plenty of diversions along the way, he journeys from Virginia to Texas, recovering lost memories as he overcomes physical, social and emotional obstacles in this sweeping American Western that lands a heartrending punch...

https://www.ajc.com/things-to-do/chenneville-a-post-war-western-that-pits-revenge-vs-humanity/ZD3AISMTHVGGLC72WNRJEBO3HA/

What a memorable character is this John Chenneville. He left his well to do family and home in Missouri to fight in the Civil War. There he was severely injured, and faced with a lengthy convalescence that included regaining his memory as well as his strength.

He eventually returns home and learns incredibly horrific news. He follows his heart to the west to track the cause of this abomination. The writing is detailed and gives a rich sense of place in the rough world of Texas in the post Civil War days. The characters he meets along the way are colorful, fascinating, and give sense to his mission. It’s an engrossing read.

John Chenneville was a tall drink of water. . .delayed in his homecoming from the Civil War due to a tangle with something he can't even remember. Relearning everything is required. That takes awhile, and in the meantime terrible trouble has happened at the home to which he's desperately trying to remember and make his way. When he gets there, the aftermath of that terrible trouble changes the direction of his life irrevocably.

From there, dear Reader, the road is long, but interesting. You'll meet rascals, murderers, a number of horses, some freckled, a sweet red hound named Dixie, a life-saving nurse who has pickpocket skills, and many other helpful people along the way. You'll follow John into bars, hotels, and collapsing into bed rolls on the roadside. He hits folks, they hit him and he bakes a mean loaf of bread without remembering where he learned how. You'll read about international morse code and pig latin, telephone operators aplenty - one in particular with brown curls. There will be one orange eaten, segment by segment. An old framed picture of him before that Civil War wounding showing him who he was once upon a time will be recovered by authorities and returned to him. All of this happens on the way to his hell-bent-for-leather quest, the end of which will seal his fate. . .

A ride on the long road to Texas. . .worth the read about. 5 stars, I'd reckon.

*A sincere thank you to Paulette Jiles, William Morrow, and NetGalley for an ARC to read and independently review.* #Chenneville #NetGalley

Historical Novels Review, November 2023:

John Chenneville, a Union soldier, emerges from a months-long coma, discovering the Civil War has ended. He had suffered a severe brain injury in an explosion. Slowly, memory fragments return: his identity, family, friends, events. Partially recovered, he arrives back home in Missouri to be told of the brutal murder of his sister, her husband, and their baby. Post-Civil War Missouri is under martial law, and investigating this murder is not of importance. Burdened by grief and motivated by revenge, John pushes himself to recover his walking, riding, and shooting skills, and build physical strength to seek out whoever is responsible for this heinous crime. Word is that Albert Dodd is that man, and after the delay to recover, John is on Dodd’s trail headed toward Texas.

With lingering effects from his injury, he travels through a desolate, lawless land, ravaged by war, where mob justice often rules. Murder is his objective and his only acceptable outcome despite the consequences. This quickly becomes a cat-and-mouse game as hunted becomes hunter. Dodd is leaving more murders in his wake, even more reason to take him down. Now John is accused of one of Dodd’s murders, and, until his mission is complete, he must elude the federal marshal sent to arrest him.

Jiles is at her best when describing the Western landscape and creating the people who live in that violent, uncertain world where life no longer has value. Chenneville may have a singular, murderous purpose of revenge, but he is also a principled man, kindhearted and sincere. He is generous and sympathetic to those he meets deserving of kindness – a complex, solitary hero. With affecting prose and harsh descriptions of the realities of a desolate land, this novel is a standout.

Janice Ottersberg

First sentence: Ding Ding Ding. He found himself lying under white sheets with very little idea of how he had gotten there. (OK 2 sentences)

I am a lover of historical fiction and Paulette Jiles. Her latest novel, Chenneville, begins as the Civil War is ending. John Chenneville is recovering from a head injury sustained following an explosion in Petersburg, Virginia. As he wakes from a 7 month coma, he cannot remember much and begins a slow journey back to himself. He can’t be sure whats real and what is not and he works to slowly regain his balance, his strength, his memory, the ability to read and write. Most of all, he is fighting for a reason to remain living as so much has changed by the war.

When he slowly makes his way back home, he learns that his beloved younger sister, Lalie, and her family have been brutally murdered. And so begins Chenneville's hunt for the killer and the revenge he so wants.

What I enjoyed: The suspense, hardship, and the pathos of a man searching for redemption. I enjoyed the colorful cast of characters he meets along the road. And I loved the inclusion of a woman telegrapher.

What was a miss for me: Everything about the ending. I found it lackluster. However, what I find disappointing, others may find perfect. That's the thing about a work of fiction.

Many thanks to Netgalley and William Morrow for a heartbreaking tale of vengeance.

Paulette Jiles's Westerns are remarkable, both building on genre conventions and innovating to tell fresh and unique stories. This book was captivating, if brutal, and I found her depictions of both the human spirit and the rugged landscape to be extremely compelling.

Jiles’s new novel is absorbing and atmospheric. Her lyrical writing captures the wild essence of Texas and the desperation of a man driven by grief. Chenneville was a complex hero and I rooted for him every step of the way. The pace was a little slow in parts but overall, I really enjoyed this story. It hooked me from the start and I couldn’t put it down. It would make a fantastic movie, like her previous novel “News of the World.”

When I read the blurb about Chenneville, I was reminded of Charles Frazier's Cold Mountain. Each book humanizes and causes the reader to empathize with a man who, even though a partisan, has been emotionally injured by the same war. This is a must read for Paulette Giles fan and might bring others to her priceless earlier books.

I received this book for free from Netgalley. That did not influence this review.

If you loved News of the World by Paulette Jiles, you’ll love her new book, Chenneville. Set in the Southwest in the immediate aftermath of the American Civil War, the novel follows the determined path of John Chenneville, a Union veteran bent on revenge.

Amnesia stories are tricky things, best avoided, unless undertaken with a hand as deft as Jiles’. The story opens with Chenneville awakening from a coma to find himself in a field hospital following a head injury. The war has ended, but his nightmare is just beginning.

Regaining his strength and his memory little by little, Chenneville is finally discharged to home. But home is not the same. His father has passed; his mother is traumatized and mute; the family tobacco fields and orchards are in ruins. Worst of all, he receives the news that his beloved little sister was murdered, along with her husband and one-year-old baby. The authorities refuse to do anything about it. Chenneville must take justice into his own hands. He has nothing to go on but a name, Dodd.

Chenneville has little to tie himself to his past life and no hope for the future. So the thought of murdering a man and suffering the consequences means little to him. But as he progresses in his odyssey, he recovers more and more of himself. He’s a good man in an impossible situation. He leaves a string of good deeds in his wake and allows himself to dream of better things. But only to dream. He can’t give up his hunt for Dodd. (To make things worse, he discovers Dodd is a serial killer.)

The rich detail of Chenneville’s trek will carry the reader alongside him. You’ll find yourself hoping for justice and redemption. And Jiles knows how to deliver both.

This is a tough one for me to review. On one hand, I really liked it, but on the other hand it was painstakingly slow. Since the novel tells the story of John Chenneville's quest to avenge his sister's murder, most of the story focuses on his journey to find the killer. By its very nature, this is primarily a solitary venture, and for me that's where I often wanted the story to pick up. In some ways this reminded me of some of my very favorite books like Winter's Bone and The Road, but it was just missing that extra something to keep me fully engaged.

The novel really shines in both its setting and characterization, though. Paulette Jiles' depiction of states like Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas in the years following the Civil War was vivid and haunting. It truly felt post-apocalyptic in many ways, which I fully enjoyed. The real gem of the novel is Chenneville himself. On a basic level it is interesting to see him rediscover who he was and is following his head injury, but even moreso I enjoyed getting to know him as an unwavering man of principle. This book also became a pretty moving love story toward the end, and that was perhaps my favorite part. I'd definitely recommend this novel to any historical fiction lover.

Chenneville by Paulette Jiles, John Chenneville was injured near the end of the Civil War and was hospitalized and unconscious for almost a year. Upon returning to his family land north of St. Louis, he learned that his only sister, her husband, and new baby had been brutally murdered by Albert Dodd, a deputy sheriff in southern Missouri. In Jiles’ characteristically poetic prose, she illuminates the landscape and makes every inch of the recovering Chenneville come alive. When he sets out for Texas to seek revenge on Dodd, he meets an engaging telegrapher and others wronged by the evil miscreant. The writing and characters are spectacular, but the quick plot resolution at the book’s end left me wanting more.

Paulette Jiles is a master storyteller. Having read NEWS OF THE WORLD, I was excited to read CHENNEVILLE The first half of the book did not disappoint! Her vivid descriptions of John Chenneville’s recovery from a head wound in a Union hospital at the end of the war made me feel like I was there. When John returns home he discovers that his sister and her family were brutally murdered. He spent a year getting well before he visited his sister’s farm and prepared to find and avenge their killer A.J. Dodd. Chenneville’s first several stops were along the telegraph line and Jile’s writing made me feel like I was there. Her descriptions of the land and stories of different people recovering from the Civil War made me feel like I was there. I did feel the story started to drag during the last half of the book. Some parts could have been left out to spend more time on the ending which was almost like an afterthought. I would also like to have seen an epilogue that takes place ten years later. My thanks to William Morrow for an ARC of this book. The opinions in this review are my own.
3.5 stars.

News of the World is one of my favorite books, but I was a little less enthralled by the author’s more recent Simon the Fiddler. Happily, this book brought me back to the many things I loved about News of the World. Jiles is a beautiful writer, and in this book the pace is slow, but never dull.

John Chenneville is a Union soldier who suffers a severe head injury. After a long convalescence, he regains his memory and returns home, only to find the place neglected with only an elderly servant remaining. He then learns horrible news about his sister, and he sets out on a quest to avenge his family and rid the world of her killer. But to do that he needs to give up his home – again – and he’s likely to lose his life or his freedom in the process.

Chenneville is determined and brave; he’s kind, with a strong moral code and a deep longing for companionship. He’s also obsessed. He cleverly tracks down clues and follows the whereabouts of his target step by step. As he does, he learns more about the kind of man he’s pursuing, and this may cost him even more, putting even the friends he makes along the way at risk.

Jiles’ writing is direct, yet she makes her setting so vivid, you feel like you can see, smell, and hear everything she’s describing. She also has a way of making you feel deeply for even her minor characters. Even the ones you only encounter once are memorable.

He walked in a swinging route step to the south, bent on murder. The road stayed to the valleys when it could, and when it came up over a ridge he could see the mountains pouring off southward. The Red River Valley was straight south about a hundred miles, and by that time the earth would have spilled out flat as it came to the shores of that treacherous river. Paulette Jiles, Chenneville

As the story progresses, we come to know and care about Chenneville. We see him first when he barely knows who he is, and through his travels and his quest he learns more about himself and the things in life that are most important. We also see the destruction and unrest created by the Civil War. Some are struggling to survive, others are taking advantage of the chaos.

For anyone who likes a good journey novel, I highly recommend this. If you haven’t read Jiles before, her writing is slow-paced and very descriptive, so I wouldn’t read it if you’re looking for a thriller. If you loved News of the World, definitely give this one a try.

Note: I received an advanced review copy of this book from NetGalley and publisher William Morrow. This book was released September 12, 2023.