Dara Horn

This book raises many intriguing questions about the meaning of life, the desire for immortality, quality of life vs length, what it means to be a good parent....It's well written; I felt as if I were there with the main character.

Rachel and Elazar give up their mortality to save their son's life. Over the centuries, they continually leave whatever lives they have created and start fresh. They aren't together, but seem to find each other when necessary.

My issue is with the main character, show more Rachel. After living for more than 2000 years, she doesn't seem to evolve with the times. She remains tied to traditional roles and doesn't seem to adapt to, or even notice, changes in the role and place of women in society. I guess it would be harder to show the price she'd paid if her incarnations were more varied and interesting, or if she hadn't constantly outlived her children. That said, I still found her extremely frustrating! show less

A very good look at stories seldom told during the American Civil War: that of Jewish life, and that of assassins. The young protagonist, Jacob Rappaport, flees from his boring life learning his father's business in order to join up with the fascinating, exciting life of war. Instead, he finds himself assigned as an assassin to his uncle, wanted by the North, and must choose between family and religious honor vs. his direct orders. The characters Horn develops are richly assigned show more personalities and histories all their own, and the backdrop of the war is ever-present. Jacob has his happy moments, then tragedy strikes as it often does, and then his real character that he has built over the years comes to the front of the action. The burning of Richmond, VA, at the end of the war is also well-crafted and the desperation of those left in the city is palpable. A great reference for students of American Civil War history, Jewish studies, and the Jewish way of life in the mid-1800's in the United States. show less

I cannot believe I've gone through 31 years on this planet knowing absolutely nothing about Passover. This book is a wildly illustrated strange story about a first-born son and his search through a hallway of time and space for his family's missing afikomen. (If you're worried because, like me, you had no prior knowledge of Passover, do not worry; terminology and traditions are explained in a natural and story-serving way.)
The illustration style is so unique and shows movement and sound and show more the chaos of the situation in a fitting way. It is well suited to the oddness of the story itself.
It was like the graphic novel Passover version of Bradbury's The Halloween Tree in its historical exploration of customs through time. It was a fun, well-paced and informative ride that I easily read in one sitting.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review! show less

Sergeant Jacob Rappaport is a young and innocent Jewish soldier knee-deep in espionage working for the North as one of the Union's most talented spies. Reporting for a new assignment, he is informed that there is a plot to assassinate President Lincoln, and that the man behind it must be eliminated. Unfortunately for Jacob, that man is his uncle. In the line of duty, for his country, he is to ingratiate himself into the family home and in cold blood murder his mother's brother! If his show more assignment is successful, he is to then continue on swiftly to his next mission that will take him into Southern enemy territory across Confederate lines.

Running for his life with the image of a noose around his neck if caught, Jacob's next appointed task is to stop a group of female spies, ascertain which of the devious ladies is the ring leader, and marry her in order to stop her secret subterfuge. He finds himself in a home of odd inhabitants with a father lost on how to manage four daughters alone after the hideous recent murder of his wife. Amongst four delightfully alluring women who are creatively combining their individual talents to create a most ingenious method of getting coded messages to their Confederates spy network, Jacob soon falls in love with Jeannie whose talent is magic and slight of hand. Her sister Phoebe is a skilled carver of unusual objects that hide the secret notes that travel from North to South. Rose, the youngest daughter is gifted with words and is in charge of ciphering and decoding the messages, while Lottie, the oldest, collects fiancé's using her charms to uncover much needed information.

Knowing that this assignment is imminent, and that he must marry into the Levy family like it or not, he selects Jeannie as his bride to be. As the two unlikely spies turn lovers, a plot of intrigue, espionage, family feuds, shocking betrayals, and a romance that will glue readers to the pages, offers up an exceptional literary novel of the trials of war. As the newlyweds begin their turbulent new marriage, each fully knowing they are both spies for the other side, the author begins their story of a sultry and seductive life of passion and fear as they endure life, death, and a daughter born in the midst of conflict. They watch their life around them unfold into crisis as the issues of racial bigotry have black slaves and Hebrew Jews fighting for their freedom, and see their world turned upside down as flames of glory and the fires of hell put darkness and light in their paths many times over before their story ends.

Friends, foes, enemy's and lovers, all cross paths in All Other Nights and will have readers totally riveted to this book that is undoubtedly superbly written, and brings characters so alive on the page you can hear them breathing as they hide from enemies in pursuit. Readers will listen to their whispered promises as they arrange their secret liaisons, and will feel their teardrops falling when their passions can not be denied. Turning the pages slowly you will hear their gut wrenching sobs when loved ones are thrown into rat infested prisons, and will stop breathing along with them when clandestine messages are passed on in hope that they will be delivered safely.

Murder, action, romance, espionage. This is a tale of war not to be forgotten. Dara Horn's evocative civil war story will leave a stamp on the readers' memory for a long time to come after closing the finale page. I loved this book. I felt so much compassion for each and every character involved, and I enjoyed the fact that I never knew what path the story would take and wondered right up until the end, how it would all turn out. Bravo to Dara Horn, All Other Nights is an astonishing polished achievement. Hollywood should find this, Book Club discussion groups should choose this. This incredible book totally left me breathless! show less