Book description
From one of our most accomplished novelists, a mesmerizing story about a mother and daughter seeking refuge in the chaotic aftermath of the Civil War
In 1874, in the wake of the War, erasure, trauma, and namelessness haunt civilians and veterans, renegades and wanderers, freedmen and runaways. Twelve-year-old ConaLee, the…
Why read it?
3 authors picked Night Watch as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?
This Pulitzer Prize-winning novel is about the deeply traumatic years of the US Civil War and its conflicts and shortages of resources. Its focus is on a family that is falling apart and that eventually finds sanctuary in a lunatic asylum (a building that is now listed). I loved this book, although some of the time changes and changes of voice were a bit confusing in the audiobook version. I would suggest reading this in paper or ebook format.
Excellent prose and a story that branched out separately then wound together I also loved the characters
The protagonist in this book is ConaLee, a 12-year-old girl mature beyond her years whose father, a Union soldier, is severely injured in the Civil War and doesn’t remember who he is (he never makes it back home). Her mother is raped by a roaming Confederate war veteran and traumatized to the point of muteness.
The Confederate soldier drops the mother and ConaLee off at a lunatic asylum in West Virginia, where a mysterious night watchman joins what becomes a compelling tale. I enjoyed this book because it introduces a spirited preteen protagonist who is trying to keep her family…
From Alison's list on fiction novels that kept me glued to each page.
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