With the release of “All Other Nights”, novelist Dara Horn has truly brought about a unique and imaginative work of fiction --- a Civil War drama that explores the pivotal roles of Jewish Americans during that infamous conflict.  Horn’s detailed knowledge of the little-known Jewish-American history during the Civil War (few casual readers are aware, for instance, that Jefferson Davis’s right-hand man, Judah Benjamin, the Secretary of State of the Confederacy was Jewish – and also served as a Confederate spymaster, or that General Ulysses S. Grant expelled all Jews from certain territories occupied by the Union army).

The protagonist of “All Other Nights” is Jacob Rappaport, a Jewish soldier in the Union army, who at 19 years of age is put in a very uncomfortable position by his superiors.  He is asked to pose as a Union defector in order to infiltrate the New Orleans home of his Uncle, Harry Hyams, and assassinate him during Passover Seder.  Hyams is suspected as being a ringleader behind a potential plot to assassinate President Lincoln and the Union army feels Jacob Rappaport is the key to stopping this plot.

Jacob follows through on this mission and murders his Uncle, Harry Hyams, by poisoning his wine during the Seder meal.  Also present at this particular Seder is Judah P. Benjamin, the first Hebrew to serve in the United States Senate and first Jewish Cabinet member in history.  Jacob makes an interesting observation during the deal when he muses that there could be nothing stranger than sitting down to a Passover Seder, the feast of freedom, with every part of the meal served by slaves. When Jacob reports back to his Union army leaders, they question why he didn’t also take out Benjamin with the same poison!  Jacob does not have his cover blown during this undertaking as all present truly believe that one of Hyams own slaves committed the murderous act.

Since he was successful and showed his loyalty to the Union cause, Jacob’s leaders propose a second mission to him.  This time around, he is called upon to infiltrate the home of one of his father’s former business partners, Phillip Levy of Virginia.  However, instead of asking him to commit murder, they request that he court and marry one of Levy’s daughters, Eugenia.  It turns out that three of Levy’s daughters are suspected of being part of an intricate spy ring that is using subversive tactics to warn the Confederate Army of key Union army positions.  Being that Jacob is known to Phillip Levy, and his family was always on good terms with them, he is easily accepted into their home as a Union defector.

Jacob overcomes a few obstacles in the form of other suitors for Eugenia Levy’s affections and eventually wins her hand.  After he proposes to her he discovers that one of Eugenia’s main suitors, an actor by the name of William Williams, is a Confederate spy himself.  Jacob decodes a letter from Williams to Eugenia in which he outs Jacob as being a Union spy!  Eugenia still goes through with the marriage to Jacob, but a confrontation at their wedding ceremony between Phillip Levy and William Williams that ends with Levy being jailed for attempted murder.  Turns out Phillip Levy was aware of Jacob’s affiliation with the Union army and actually in support of his efforts.  Levy puts Jacob in touch with a rebel underground network of slaves and funds the release of his cell-mate, a major player in this movement who Jacob later befriends. 

Unfortunately, Jacob’s marriage to Eugenia, who is very quickly with child following their wedding, goes bad as her and her sisters are captured by the Union army and imprisoned as Rebel spies.  Jacob finds his way out of the south and back to his Union base with the assistance of the rebel slave underground.  He pleads with his Union leaders to swap prisoners by freeing Phillip Levy and allowing him to return North and in his place sending Eugenia back home to the South.  However, this deal is not made due to the tragic news received that Eugenia suffered a stroke and died in prison after her first week there.  A despondent Jacob, now done with his spying, is promoted to Sergeant in the Union Army and sent to a Union run camp in Mississippi to finish out his army service.

While in Mississippi, Jacob uses the surname of ‘Samuels’ to hide his spying past and soon befriends a local barmaid who turns out to be a distant relative of the Levy family.  Shortly thereafter, a major skirmish takes place in which Jacob is seriously wounded – losing the use of an eye, receiving permanent facial scars and a leg wound that will force him to walk with a cane for the rest of his life --- his army career is quickly ended at age 21.  Upon leaving the service, he reluctantly returns to his family and their business in New York City.  Being a wizard of the books and good with figures, he resigns himself to spending the rest of his life behind a desk.  However, fate once again shows its’ hand in Jacob’s life when his father asks him to go to Philadelphia to meet with an old business contact --- Phillip Levy.  The meeting between Jacob and Phillip is bittersweet, as Phillip is thankful for Jacob’s role in getting him freed from prison but still mourning the loss of his daughter Eugenia.  He asks a remorseful Jacob to do him one more favor --- take a letter to his remaining daughters back in New Orleans and report back to him that all is well.

It is with this final task that Jacob’s fate comes full circle, as he not only rediscovers the Phillip Levy’s daughters but hears rumor that Eugenia may still be alive and living with Jacob’s child --- 2-year old daughter, Deborah.  Nearly unrecognizable with an eye patch and cane, he attends a fundraising dinner in which a Eugenia Van Damme is going to perform --- billing herself as an ‘escape artist’.   Without giving away any more of this intricate plot, it is sufficient to say that Jacob has his opportunity to truly ‘atone’ for past misdeeds and mistakes.  He also is able to find out the truth about Eugenia Levy as well as having one more opportunity to do service (this time for the Confederate side) as he gets involved with both stage actor Edwin Booth and the highly feared and respected, Judah Benjamin.

What Dara Horn does well is to create an atmosphere that is honest and real without ever going out of her way to portray this as merely a tale of Jewish participation in the American Civil War.  All of her characters are complex and many of them --- as well as several of the event depicted in the novel --- are real.  She does best when she sheds a light on what is was like to be a Jew during these times, as Jewish characters reflect upon the special ‘hour’ they have each and every Sunday when all others are participating in Mass and they have their cities to themselves.  The issues of loyalty and identity raised by Jacob’s tale will resonate with readers across the political, cultural and religious spectrum --- and leave us thinking about possibilities for reconciliation that might yet await us.

Reviewed by Ray Palen