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gabriellag's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
rachel_abby_reads's review against another edition
1.0
Just didn't like it. I started it, and about the time I realized that I was forcing myself to continue reading, without particularly liking or caring about any of the characters, I remembered that I'm not in school, it's not required reading, and I can put it down. So I did.
suannelaqueur's review against another edition
4.0
That was one meaty story, the research must've been insane. I love a book that makes me keep a Wikipedia browser open on the side. I learned so much!
superfamoustia's review against another edition
5.0
Can't wait to read another by the writer of "The World to Come!" Ms. Horn is quickly becoming one of my favorite contemporary authoresses.es.essss.
;)
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Finished. Read it in 2 or 3 days (I can't keep track). It is rare to find a book that is of high literary quality, AND overwhelmingly, compulsively readable from page one. "The World to Come" was a great novel. This is an EXCELLENT one, in my very specific & discerning opinion;).
Pick it up if you've ever wished for more adventure in your "great works," or more complicated writing and feelings in your adventure novels.
;)
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Finished. Read it in 2 or 3 days (I can't keep track). It is rare to find a book that is of high literary quality, AND overwhelmingly, compulsively readable from page one. "The World to Come" was a great novel. This is an EXCELLENT one, in my very specific & discerning opinion;).
Pick it up if you've ever wished for more adventure in your "great works," or more complicated writing and feelings in your adventure novels.
lisagray68's review against another edition
4.0
I had no idea this was a Civil War book, or I might have thought twice -- that's not my favorite genre. This is a story of being Jewish in the Civil War, and the Jews' role in the war. Much of it is based on real historical events. It's also a love story, but not a sappy one. Espionage, battles, love -- it's got it all, and is beautifully written. I would like to read more from this author!
haleymclean56's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
bethnellvaccaro's review against another edition
3.0
This is by no means a great book, or even a very good book, but it is a romance, which I always like. If you go into the book thinking that is is an historical romance instead of historical fiction, you will probably like it better. I haven't read much about the civil war, and this book made me interested in reading some more.
novelhistorian's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Jacob Rapaport's mission sounds absolutely preposterous, but the genius of All Other Nights is that when you read it, your disbelief drops away. It’s not just that Horn has thoroughly researched daily life during the Civil War, Jewish communities of the 1860s, espionage, manners, or a dozen other things, though she has. It’s that I believe how lost Jacob is, how he longs for the same things as the people he’s working to betray, those human qualities so precious in wartime–kindness, a ready ear, acceptance, love. He’s enchanted to find that those qualities still exist, and he’s not being two-faced when he offers them in return, which makes him sympathetic.
I’ve complained when authors use their characters’ Jewishness as a tool or symbol, and that it feels skin-deep at best. But here, the Jews are real, as is their complex calculus required to navigate a hostile, bigoted world. Every move Jacob makes becomes freighted with anxious meanings, except when he’s among his brethren. But since those brethren are southern, he still can’t be himself, so the tension never lets up.
Despite my admiration for All Other Nights, I think the book could have been shorter; there’s a packed feel to it. The New Orleans segment, Jacob’s first adventure, seems unnecessary and less plausible than the rest. But that part does contain a beautiful scene, a Passover seder in which slaves bring to the table the matzo and bitter herbs, reminders of biblical slavery in Egypt. How Jacob’s southern cousins manage to overlook the irony fascinates him–another way of saying that even if it’s packed too full, All Other Nights always has something to say.
I’ve complained when authors use their characters’ Jewishness as a tool or symbol, and that it feels skin-deep at best. But here, the Jews are real, as is their complex calculus required to navigate a hostile, bigoted world. Every move Jacob makes becomes freighted with anxious meanings, except when he’s among his brethren. But since those brethren are southern, he still can’t be himself, so the tension never lets up.
Despite my admiration for All Other Nights, I think the book could have been shorter; there’s a packed feel to it. The New Orleans segment, Jacob’s first adventure, seems unnecessary and less plausible than the rest. But that part does contain a beautiful scene, a Passover seder in which slaves bring to the table the matzo and bitter herbs, reminders of biblical slavery in Egypt. How Jacob’s southern cousins manage to overlook the irony fascinates him–another way of saying that even if it’s packed too full, All Other Nights always has something to say.
martha_w's review against another edition
5.0
Great historical fiction about a Jewish Union spy during the Civil War (more fiction than history). Jacob Rappaport, the main character, spends most of the novel working for the Union secret service behind enemy lines. Even though the book is set in the middle of a huge event, it is really much more about Jacob than the Civil War. He lets life take him where it will and grows up quite a bit along the way. We don't get epic stories of huge battles. Instead we see how wartime is affecting Jewish families in the south and how it changes the path of Jacob's life.
This is the second novel of Dara Horn's that I have read and she is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors.
This is the second novel of Dara Horn's that I have read and she is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors.
pkadams's review against another edition
4.0
I was skeptical, but cautiously intrigued by this book as any civil war romance after Rhett and Scarlett is a cliche. However in the hands of Dara Horn, Jacob and Jeannie stand on their own as two opposing Jewish-American spies where the romance is with a lowercase "r" and the focus is on Jacob's story of being trapped first by his own family, then by the military, and finally by circumstances out of his control. The development of the characters, especially Jacob, is gratifying and realistic. The gritty reality of the civil war are all present: the destruction, devastation, disfigurement, and precarious nature of being Jewish in 19th century society are all front and center. It was another quick read - as again I just wanted to know what happened!