All Other Nights by Dara Horn A Review

All Other Nights, Dara Horn’s third novel, is both a work of historical fiction and a political thriller. It takes place during the American Civil War. The novel’s first riveting scene is of its protagonist, nineteen-year-old Jacob Rappaport, newly enlisted in the Union Army after fleeing an arranged marriage to one of his father’s business associates, hidden in a barrel on a boat bound for New Orleans where he has been commanded to carry out a mission that would test even the most resolute of soldiers—he must murder his uncle, a man he hasn’t seen in five years who is ostensibly involved in a plot to assassinate President Lincoln and must do this on the first night of Passover before the Seder has concluded. The title of this gripping novel is a reference to the Four Questions which are traditionally asked by the youngest person at the Seder—why is this night different from all other nights?

The completion of this mission sets in motion a chain of events which will take Jacob all over the Union and the Confederacy and will place him in many trying situations, physically, emotionally, morally and spiritually. One of the most jarring scenes in the novel occurs at the Seder which is being served entirely by slaves. One cannot but note, as Jacob does this horrific irony—at one of the most central Jewish holiday observances, which focuses on the Exodus from Egypt when the Jewish people were freed from Egyptian bondage, all of the food has been cooked and is being served by slaves. This irony is most certainly not lost on the slaves who bring out course after course. The horrors of slavery are once again encountered, much later in the novel, when Jacob witnesses a slave auction taking place and the cruel separation of lovers, their pleas falling on deaf ears.

Throughout his travels, Jacob encounters a very diverse cast of characters, from the Levys, a Jewish family living in New Babylon, Virginia who, to supplement their father’s meager income, become Confederate spies to the freed slaves involved in the Legal League, helping smuggle people northward, to the Union and Confederate soldiers he befriends and shares the burdens and pain of war with. Each character is masterfully developed and portrayed in an incredibly complex way, a way that we, as readers, can relate to in some way, as unappealing as we may find their politics and other positions. I found myself empathizing with characters that I initially disliked, and unable to put the book down, as I wanted to know how each of the characters would fair in the end.

All Other Nights was an incredibly gripping, insightful and educational novel. Prior to reading it, I had not known much about the Jewish experience during the Civil War. Although the Jewish community living in America at this time was a mere 130,000 strong, there were important players on both sides, including Judah Benjamin, who was the Confederate Secretary of State. Jews, unlike many other groups during this period, often did maintain ties across enemy lines owing to familial and business relationships. Horn presents a very complex picture of America during this time, giving us greater insight into people’s motivations for fighting for the causes dearest to them. All Other Nights grapples with a host of issues that are no less relevant to us today as they were to those living a century and a half ago. How do we know who we truly are, where our loyalties lie? At what price must we fight for causes dear to us and how different are we truly from one another? How much power do we really have over our choices and are we truly cognizant of their consequences?

In an interview she gave shortly after the novel’s publication in 2009, Horn remarked that historical fiction often says more about the time in which it was written than the time in which it is set. While reading All Other Nights, I could not but think about our current political climate in which it is all too common for a person to read only those publications that are in line with their views and will only watch those news shows that align well with their preconceptions about the world, a climate in which it is increasingly difficult, if not at times impossible, to hold conversations with those of differing views without them degenerating into arguments. The Civil War can teach us much about what happens when a deeply divided nation does not seek to rectify those divisions. The Civil War not only divided a young nation, it divided families as well, which is all too apparent throughout this novel.

All Other Nights is a novel I would highly recommend to anyone, of any faith. Those with a background in Judaism and the Jewish textual tradition will find numerous references jumping out at them on every page, but this novel is very accessible to anyone. If you are looking for a treatment of the Civil War that is not very commonly found, look no further! Truly a delightful read.

I purchased this novel.