Fire by Night by Lynn Austin

Description:

Book 2 of Refiner's Fire. The drama of the Civil War unfolds through the eyes of two very different Northern girls. Lovely Julia Hoffman has always enjoyed the carefree life of her well-to-do family, but when she fails to attract the attention of Rev. Nathaniel Greene, a fierce abolitionist, she determines to bring meaning to her empty and shallow existence. When she becomes a Union nurse, her eyes are opened to the realities of war and suffering. She also meets Phoebe, who has entered the army under false pretenses--and whose journey to understanding herself, as well as the tumultuous world about her, is revealed with sensitivity and drama.

 

My Opinion:

Do you ever read a book that is sooo... good that you just have to prolong it and take your time with it? And do you ever ONLY read the book at a certain time of day at your favorite reading place so you can hopefully get even more into it? NO? *Shrug* Maybe it's just me, but this one was THAT good.

I am loving the Refiner's Fire series. It is great! The descriptions are tremendous and the characters seem so REAL. I feel like I am actually standing there in the story, kind a like I'm a by stander just watching everything happen: The battles, the fighting, the healing, the restoring...Etc.

I thought this whole book was going to be about Julia trying to win Nathaniel's heart. Boring! Thank goodness it wasn't! Lynn Austin also added Phoebe to the story. So, I saw two different perspectives throughout the whole book. I saw how Julia and Phoebe met and how they came to be close friends, and the trials they faced during their everyday lives. On top of that lets not forget that both of them do meet more men on the way... good and bad which added to my interest in the book.

I saw their experiences/roles during the Civil War first hand. If you read the description above then you know that Julia signed up as a nurse and Phoebe enlisted in the war under false pretenses. So, I felt like I was I experiencing living in the woods as a soldier and helping with treatments for patients, including seeing mutilated bodies and surgery operations. I know that the Civil War was an extremely sad time for America, but reading about it is so great! I'm having fun while learning history!

Definite Recommendation!

Rating: 5 Stars