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3.61 AVERAGE
3.61 AVERAGE
I read most of this fast paced novel in a single day, unable to put it down. It grapples with many complex questions of what it means to be a Jew in America and the need to prove one’s loyalty. I do wish that the ending had been less of a cliff hanger, though. I was left wondering- what does Jeannie’s final decision mean for the Levy family? For her relationship to Lottie, to her other sisters, to her father? I also found it a bit annoying that only the Black characters’ accents were written into their speech, even though other characters were noted as having various accents- it seems like a double standard.
What I really liked about this story is that it is like no other that I have ever read about the Civil War. I loved the fact that nearly ever protagonist/developed character was Jewish ("Hebrew") because I have never before read any account -- either real or fictional -- of Jews in the U.S. during that period in our history...it opened my eyes to a lot of things I never knew or had never even thought and for that reason alone I'm glad I read it.
I love the historical fiction, and this book was completely enjoyable. Highly recommend!
This is more like a guilty pleasure read. The premise is fascinating, and so are the characters, but the plot seems stilted and contrived. That being said, I couldn't put it down. Perfect summer read.
I very much enjoyed this Civil War novel. All Other Nights centers around Jacob Rappaport, a Union Jew who enlists in the army to escape an arranged marriage. He's given orders to murder his uncle and then to marry a Confederate spymistress. The detail Horn pours into her historical fiction is incredible, rendering a believable setting that is fraught with danger. It was a perfect balance between intrigue, suspense, and romance wrapped up in a literary style. Horn closely examines the themes of bondage, loyalty, and justice through the lens of the Jewish experience in the 1800s. I would give this 4.5 stars and heartily recommend it to fans of historical fiction.
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I'm not sure what I thought of this book. I mean, when I read a book I like to like the narrator or main character in the book. And Jacob Rappaport was actually just an awful person. Not a redeemably flawed person, but an actually awful person. After the first bit at his uncle's house, I didn't really care what happened to him or thought "serves you right" when bad things happened. And I don't like feeling like that. I want to empathize with a narrator. Since I didn't really care what happened to any of the specific characters and I knew how the civil war would end, it was hard to care about this book. I couldn't even really figure out what was motivating this character. Like, he joined the army because he had to escape his parents, not because he wanted to, but then after that it seems like he's motivated by devotion to the Union cause, but that can't be because he didn't want to be in the army in the first place. And it just seems like... what is this guy doing? Why is he doing it? It was such a random story. I think it was an attempt at a redemption story, but it didn't really work and I didn't feel that the character was redeemed at the end. I'm not sure really what to make of it overall. 2.5 stars.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Never before have more unlikely coincidences taken place in one book. The string of events flow like a river of molasses, which I suppose is fitting with the southern location of most of it. By this I mean that there is one central plot, which is fine, but each sub plot that tries to go off into a slightly different direction is immediately sucked back into the black hole of the main plot. I really came to the conclusion that Jacob wasn't picked as a spy just because he was Jewish, but also because he was entirely expendable. He may be brilliant with number, but nothing else. You get the sense that he should be wearing thick glasses and spending all of his time in the library, yet not gaining as much knowledge as would be assumed. A story about an ordinary man doing what he is told, in an extremely understated way.
I'm also sure that there are words other than beautiful and stunning to describe an attractive woman.
I'm also sure that there are words other than beautiful and stunning to describe an attractive woman.