All Other Nights (2009)

From the April 14, 2009 Washington Post: ‘In the slam-bang opening pages of her superb third novel, Dara Horn masterfully establishes both a gripping plot premise and a fascinatingly conflicted protagonist. She sends Jacob roaming across a war-torn landscape to encounter a marvelous variety of characters, each imagined with empathy and depth’. This is about Jews, the Civil War, spies, Passover, heritage, slavery, escape, love and more. Although I had some difficulty with the protagonist’s low self esteem, overall the complex story is engaging and the author is one to watch. Cyrille Cobe _amrch 2010

A fast paced historical thriller and love story set among Jewish spies in the Civil War. It is also witty, well written and reads more like literary fiction than genre fiction, for some undefinable reason.

It begins on Passover in 1862 New Orleans with a young New York Jew named Jacob Rappaport sent to murder his uncle who is suspected of plotting to murder Lincoln. It ends in April 1865 in Richmond with events linked to the assassination of President Lincoln. And the connection between the two is Jacob's second major mission as a Federal spy: marrying a Southern Jewish woman to infiltrate the spy ring she has set up with her three young sisters.

As the endnotes make clear, All Other Nights is meticulously researched. But it wears its historical erudition lightly and does just enough to bring to life a long dead world. The main real historical figure in the book is the Confederate Secretary of State Judah P. Benjamin, but there are some brief walk-on appearances by some other lesser known figures. And it is historical fiction that tries to stay true to the known facts of history while presenting a secret story underlying them.

By picking Jews as her subject, Dara Horn effectively illustrates the strange way in which the Civil War literally tore families as the end up on either side of the line. And by focusing on spies, she finds a way to tell the story that is not only interesting but allows a lot of interaction between the characters from the different sides and questions about what is and is not true.

Horn is at her strongest in creating four unique, quirky sisters that form the putative Virginia spy ring, each of whom has their own vividly drawn quirks. And a scene near the end of a "starvation ball" just before the fall of Richmond where dirty water is served in wine glasses, empty platters are circulated, and an escape artist performs for a charity function in particularly vivid and strong.

Altogether enjoyable and very interesting. ( )

Dara Horn’s books not only pull you in with their compelling plots, but force you to confront, along with the characters, issues of morality, values, and faith.

All Other Nights is a book about slavery and freedom, and how difficult it can sometimes be to distinguish one from the other. It is set during the American Civil War, and takes its title from part of the ritual during the Jewish holiday of Passover. On the first night of the holiday, a supper called a Seder is held during which family members gather and collectively retell the Exodus story about the escape of Jews from slavery in Ancient Egypt. The youngest son initiates the process by asking ""Why is this night different from all other nights?"

Jacob Rappaport, a nineteen-year-old Union soldier, answers this question in a way that will affect the entire rest of his life. He is assigned by his commanders to attend his southern uncle’s Passover Seder and poison him during the meal; the commanders believe the uncle is part of a plot to assassinate Lincoln. Jacob would not be in favor of such a plot, and certainly he finds appalling irony in the spectacle of Jews celebrating the end of slavery while being served by slaves. But he also loves his uncle and thinks he is a good man. Still, Jacob believes he has no choice but to obey the instructions, and he may be correct. Nevertheless, he knows what he has been asked to do is wrong. Indeed, throughout the story, the entire trajectory of Jacob’s life is shaped by his inability to disobey others and to listen to his heart. As the author explains in an interview appended to the story, in this book she is exploring the many ways in which freedom can be understood; those who are physically enslaved but true to themselves can be seen as more free than those who have given up their mental liberty (whether for ambition or love or fear).

Jacob receives another assignment, not understanding that his obedience inspires contempt rather than admiration, and is once again commanded to take advantage of love and family to betray those who trust him. But this time, he falls in love with the woman he has been sent to destroy. Jacob is not let off easy by the author; there is no facile epiphany allowing Jacob to answer to his better angels, and no perfect ending in store for him. Equivocation and attempts at atonement fail to prevent his Biblical-like punishment. Only when Jacob truly gains the courage to be true to himself will he realize any sort of redemption.

Discussion: This novel was exceptionally absorbing, reminding me of the biblical stories that weave in and out of the plot. Jacob is tried and tested, tempted and tortured; he cries out for forgiveness, but doesn’t know how to find it. His journey toward redemption takes him through a wilderness of battles and blood and betrayal and passions, and between families split down the middle by a shocking conflict over the ownership and control of human bodies. Through Jacob’s eyes we experience the horror of being attracted toward something repellant; the self-hatred that comes from realizing you are only human; and the inexorable hand of the Old Testament God, never mentioned directly, but always there: asking for righteousness, and meting out justice when righteousness is denied. This is a book that won’t fail to animate a book club, because nothing that happens lacks moral complexity.

Evaluation: This deeply imagined tale uses the setting of the Civil War to pose questions about the morality of obeying the State when you are asked to do something you consider immoral; the role of trust and honesty in creating enduring relationships; and above all, the sometimes slippery distinctions between slavery and freedom. I think this award-winning author is quite deserving of the many accolades accorded to her. ( )

This book starts off with a bang as our protagonist, Jacob Rappaport, find himself crammed in a barrel at the bottom of a boat with a packet of poison in his pocket and a mission to murder his uncle. For his next misson, his target is a beautiful and talented actress, magician, and confederate spy. Only this time instead of murder, his mission is to marry her. All Other Nights is the sweeping story of a Jewish, Union spy during the civil war who finds himself struggling with complicated questions of love, loyalty, guilt and redemption. It sheds light on the complexity of war where there are no simple answers and brings us face to face with the intersection between love of family and love of country. Dara Horn writes masterfully, keeping the plot spinning forward. She maintains momentum and a good pace as the story spans the entire country and many years. The characters are intriguing and varied though at times I wished that the secondary characters were as complex and well developed as Jacob. This historical fiction is based in fact and feels authentic to the time period, but takes many liberates. For example, most of the characters are inspired by a conglomerate of historical people. Overall I found the book extremely satisfying and thought-provoking. I would recommend it to people who are interested in the civil war, espionage, love stories, and the complexities of humanity. -- Alyssa R.

A Civil-War era novel with action almost entirely off the battlefield. Civilians take center stage, especially a memorable quartet of sisters. The Jewish perspective on the war is similar to that of other Americans: They choose sides based mostly on where they live and wait and worry about sons in the field. The author includes many actual and invented scenes, however, to show that the war does not erase their difference. Exclusion, condescension, and outright antisemitism are just below the surface. The central character begins by following orders and breaking solidarity with his people. The rest of the book is his journey if not back to wholeness then at least to a proper orientation. There is love found and lost and sought for again, all in the context of conflicting loyalties and political intrigue. The author brings all these threads together in an intense set of closing chapters that burn away the dross and leave the reader and the characters in possession of what really matters. ( )