Reviews

Vor allen Nächten by Dara Horn

Only show reviews with written explanations

katieparker's review against another edition

4.0

All Other Nights is about a 19-year-old Jew named Jacob Rappaport, who is a Union soldier during the Civil War. One day, he is summoned before three of his officers who have an assignment for him: travel across the lines to New Orleans to kill his uncle, who is planning the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln. Thinking he has no choice but to accept, he makes the journey and completes the mission, much to his surprise. When he returns, he expects to be lauded for his efforts, but is instead met with a new mission: befriend a family known to his father, and marry one of the daughters, who is suspected of being a Confederate spy. What he doesn’t anticipate is to genuinely fall in love with her.

I won’t say much to ruin any more of the plot than I already have, but I will say that I became so engrossed in it that I stayed up well past midnight the last three nights reading it. It reminded me a lot of the many young adult historical fiction novels I read as a kid, primarily the books by Ann Rinaldi. I actually probably hadn’t actually read a Civil War-based novel since then! I enjoyed the book a lot and will almost definitely seek out the author’s other works, though what I really want is a sequel to this one.

carrieliza's review against another edition

Go to review page

5.0

Ok, Dara Horn, I forgive you for the crap ending of "The World to Come". Because if that's what you needed to do to get to this book, then I'm fine with it.

This book has so many things I love: Lincoln, Jews, history!
I was a bit surprised when it ended, and a little sad--I wanted more.

melvankomen's review against another edition

Go to review page

3.0

This was such an interesting story, and it felt well-researched and "real" to me. I cringed at only one or two anachronisms, which is hard hard hard to avoid in historical fiction.

The story centers around a very young (I had to remind myself HOW young) New York Jewish man who runs away to join the army in the midst of the Civil War. I did not know about the historical figure Benjamin Judah and his role as an early and prominent Jew and advisor to the Confederacy. The main character is encouraged to become a spy, falls in love with his "target," and complications ensue.

The writing was terrific in places, overwrought in others. The story was compelling in places, exceedingly confusing in others. The characters were interesting in places, completely baffling in others. And the ending left me a little cold.

So, for a debut novel I think this was a solid read. It was fun, and I was not sorry I made it to the end.