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A review by melvankomen
All Other Nights by Dara Horn
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.
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.