| Title | : | Fire by Night (Refiner's Fire, #2) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 1556614438 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9781556614439 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 429 |
| Publication | : | First published January 1, 2003 |
| Awards | : | Christy Award Historical (2004) |
Fire by Night (Refiner's Fire, #2) Reviews
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You know a book is wonderfully good when you still think about it weeks after you've finished, when you're still lost in its world long after reading the last page, and when the characters still cling to you as though they were your best friends. Fire by Night is just such a book. I became so lost in it I was able to read it anywhere, regardless of my surroundings. Everything else was forgotten as I plunged wholeheartedly in this wonderful, intense and passionate story of courage, selflessness, love and self-forgiveness. The first book of the series, Candle in the Darkness was amazing and I loved it, but this one...this one had me completely entranced. It's quite possibly my favourite book of the year. The characters are real, relatable, human. They come alive as the story unfolds, and I could connect, understand and love them. Their adventures and experiences are believable and the settings and atmosphere so well described that, even though I have never experienced the gruesome sight of a bloody battlefield, Ms. Austin's descriptions are the closest insight I have had - and wish to have. Everything in this novel was so engrossing. And for once I didn't care that they were two heroines, that some scenes were incredibly sad, and that there were two stories going on at the beginning.
Rich, pampered and spoiled, Julia Hoffman lives a life of luxury and ease as a Philadelphia belle amongst the elite. She is young, beautiful, and very much solicited after. In these times of war and danger, all that is expected of her is that she pick a husband, start her own family and continue on with her life of fancy afternoon teas and expensive soirées. Julia has set her cap at dynamic, passionate Pastor Nathaniel Greene, a fierce abolitionist and ardent philanthropist, but he wants nothing to do with Julia. He is looking for a wife who is selfless, loving, generous and giving. A woman who will know what is expected of a minister's wife and willingly comply to her husband's will. In short, he wants a compliant woman who will obey him. And Julia is none of that.
After she witnesses the Battle of Bull Run, an ashamed Julia overhears a mortifying comment about her, and makes an important decision that will forever alter the course of her life.
For her part, Phoebe Bigelow is not afraid of the war. She would much rather enlist along with her brothers and go on shooting Rebels, than stay behind and work for that odious Mrs. Haggerty, all the while having to wear a dress and behaving womanly. Phoebe thinks she is ugly and that no one will marry her, so why play the part of a woman when she could easily pass off for a man, with her great height and stocky build, and enroll in the army?
Two very different women, coming from two very different worlds, running away for very different reasons. The one so pretty and delicate, but determined and outspoken. The other, strong, fierce and made for hard work. The one thing they have in common, is that they are both serving for the same war. Heart-wrenching, bloody, miserable, difficult, uncontrollable war. They will never emerge from it all the same person again.
Do yourself a big favor and read this book. You won't regret it. It's amazing. It has danger, suspense, battles, adventure and romance. The hero is unlike any I had ever encountered, and I found myself falling for him the moment I met him, and swooning all over the place by the end. He just made me melt. *sigh*
I really cannot wait to get my hands on the final book of the series, A Light to my Path!!
And now, for the spoilerish comments, for those who have read the book :) -
I loved this series - 3 books taking place in the Civil War time. I learned SO MUCH of what led up to the secession and ultimately the war, from the citizen's viewpoint.
First book, Candle in the Darkness, had a young woman growing up on a plantation surrounded by slaves, yet she just couldn't understand why the members of her family (and everyone) thought of them as property and not human beings. It shows the Southerner's point of view. You don't end up condoning slavery obviously, but you see why so many were caught up in their traditional way of life and 'industry.' (But I also want so badly to bang my head against the wall and cry, HOW could human beings do this to other human beings?!)
The 2nd in the series, Fire by Night, has her cousin from the north also viewing all the happenings of war, from the comfort of her spoiled, rich-girl life in Philadelphia. She learns to get involved, to step outside her comfort zone and serve others. She meets another young woman from Virginia who experiences war first hand when SHE goes and fights in the war herself.
3rd in the series, A Light to My Path, follows slaves as they grow up and experience the war and ultimately their freedom. It also wraps up the lives of characters even from the first book.
Miss Austin has a religious tone overall - her message for the first and 3rd book strongly encourages giving oneself over to the Lord to let HIM take away the pain and anger. Eli, a religious slave, is a wonderful character in the first book. One can't help but love his faith and devotion, his teaching this young white girl the basics of Christianity and faith in the plainest terms. -
Before I begin let met just say that : #1 I don't usually like books that have two heroines and two heros, I feel that it's some how cheating and that each couple should have their own book. #2 I detest spoiled brats. #3 I hate it when a character I like dies. But you see I still gave this five! And that is because this is the best book I've ever read with more than one main story line in it that clocks in a 473 pages. HOW did she do it? Readers, I don't know.
But I do know that she did a wonderful job. How often do we see a spoiled heroine who has actually done an about turn by the end? Not often. How often does an author kill of a beloved character and make it up to you? Rarely, very rarely.
So, that is what I love about this book, it's Lynn Austen's absolute best Imo. Watching Julia Hoffman turn from spoiled society belle to an unselfish war nurse was sometime else, especially because it took her time. She didn't just become unselfish overnight.
Then, the Hero. He is my favorite of all of Lynn's heroes. His having a beard may have something to do with that… but I think it's just him. He's tortured by his past and cannot get passed it.
As for the other Hero and Heroine, I can't spoil it for you by saying anything about them. But Phoebe Bigelow was an amazing character. She was too tall, too plain and could shoot like a man. Who in their right mind would want to marry her? Phoebe can't think of anyone so she does the unthinkable, and marches off to war. She was a free spirit, no one could bind her to their opinions. (And that's what I loved so much about her, that and her self sacrificing love)
PG-13 For the battle descriptions, (not gory I promise) the attempted rape, two murders and nursing. FYI, there were a few preachy spots, I skipped them without losing any of the story. -
Okay, so I know I am one of the few that dislikes this book. I will say I enjoyed this book in general a lot more than the first one. The story drew me; the battles, nursing, etc. was all very interesting. The whole thing with Phoebe was fascinating, although a little awkward at times, and didn't seem to go with Julia's POV. But to be honest, I like Phoebe's story a lot more than Julia's!
*spoilers below*
First reason for the dislike:
The whole deal with Julia lying about being married. I get that, okay, but it also bothered me. And then the fact that Julia thought the doctor was married worsened the issue. THEN they become attracted to each other when both think the other is married!!!! And they kiss thinking that!!! When I was reading it didn't click, but once I was done it hit me. How convenient neither one was married. What if they had been? I mean really? Also, the doctor does grow on one (I'll admit that I was kinda rooting for him...), but he is very crude and some of his comments made me cringe. I understand it had to do with his past and he did change for the better.....BUT...
Second reason for the dislike:
Toward the end I wanted to throw something at Julia. I was so mad with her. Basically the reason why she chose the doctor (I cannot remember his name!!) over Nathaniel Greene (which was portrayed as very nice at the beginning and then everything changed) was because he kissed better. I'm serious! So maybe Nathaniel wasn't the one for her...and maybe he didn't love her truly, but to base all that on a kiss...I'm sorry, that is dreadful.
*end of spoilers*
I will give Julia a little benefit. She didn't fall deadly in love with one certain man right away.
So there are my reasons. And if you love this book...then good for you ;) I'm getting a little tired of Christian romances that focus so much on the physical side. And also, stories about a rogue guy who have a terrible background. Why can't there be more books with godly young men, that do have struggles, but aren't distasteful in their actions and words? -
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!
My blog:
http://kissedbooks.blogspot.com/ -
This book is amazing! It is too hard to pick a favourite Lynn Austin book but right now this one’s my favourite!
The story follows two main characters: a young socialite who becomes a nurse during the Civil War to prove that she isn't self-centred and snobbish, and a farm girl who disguises herself as a boy and joins the Union army to avoid life at home. Their stories start out separately but eventually overlap, and these two main points of view worked really well together.
Throughout this book, I felt:
- amused (some of those witty comments had me giggling!),
- butterflies (Julia and you know who!! One of my favourite book couples),
- annoyed at Nathaniel (however, ironically, one of his sermons moved me to tears),
- happy, sad- a whole roller coaster of emotions because these characters become your book friends, and
- completely in awe of the story!
READ THIS BOOK! Lynn Austin's gift for storytelling really shines in this story and I know I'm going to keep reading it over and over again. 5+ stars! -
I'll try to write an actual review of this book sometime... For now, though, suffice it to say that this is at least my 4th time through this book and I'm still enjoying it! :)
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I truly loved this whole trilogy. My book club started with the third book in the series, and I loved it so much that I HAD to read the other two. Each one is set during the civil war and each story is told from different view points during parallel times. One time we read about a slave owner and her slaves. Another book covers a slave owner who is sympathetic to the slaves and helps them. And the third book covers a young girl who serves in the war. All the characters cross over with each other in all the books. I loved the character development and fell in love with the characters. Another favorite part of mine is how the author is not afraid to share the characters' belief in Christ. I couldn't put the books down and would highly recommend them to anyone. There is history, emotion, drama and even a little bit of romance.
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*sigh* one of my ABSOLUTE FAVORITES! REREAD!!!
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Impeccable use of the 'enemies to lovers' trope, with some Jane Eyre vibes thrown in for good measure.
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"Society tells me I must stay in my place and obey my husband. So should I try to become the person he wants me to be or the person God wants me to be?"
"I don't think they should be telling you two different things."
That line is the difference between feminism and biblical femininity and the reason this book gets five stars.
And it also made me super grateful for a husband who doesn't tell me something different about who God made me to be than God does.
I related to Julia from long before her character arc began and loved her different stages of understanding and growth. And you know, I loved Phoebe and Ted too. I just really enjoyed spending time with these characters and enjoyed this book better than the first one. -
One of my all time favorite books. I read it about once a year :)
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4.5
Buddy read with Aerykah :) -
Fire by Night by Lynn Austin
Time Frame: 1861-1865 (Civil War)
Location: Philadelphia, Washington DC area and Gettysburg
Main Characters:
Julia Hoffman Twenty year old, single and beautiful
James McGrath: Bitter, mean-spirited surgeon for Union Army
Nathaniel Greene: Single, abolitionist pastor Julia has been in love with for years
Another amazing Lynn Austin book, second in the Refiner's Fire series. I'd read Candle in the Darkness years ago, always remembered it, but haven't read the follow-up book until today. Actually, the time frame for both books is about the same (throughout the whole Civil war). The first book is about Julia's cousin, Caroline, who had been spending time at Julia's family home in Philadelphia, but left to take care of things at her family estate in Virginia, which was a slave state. In the beginning of Refiner's Fire Julia was madly in love with the handsome, single, abolitionist preacher, Nathaniel. In Fire by Night, she still is.
Synopsis - for my sake. This part will give away too much if you intend to read the book.
This was such a good book. Clearly much Civil War research was done, which I loved. But more than that was how Christ is shown many times throughout the book. The sacrifice of one person putting their body in front of another's is an illustration of Christ's love for us, to offer us life when what would happen otherwise would have been death. No greater love...
Once again Lynn Austin has knocked my socks off, and I'm in awe. -
Oh my! What a great book! I laughed, I cried and was completely absorbed in the story. Lynn Austin, your work is wonderful! I am currently reading the next book in the series and when I've finished, I will write a full review.
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I'll never stop loveing these books
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I enjoyed this series. They are great stories.
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This book might have been a little long for me. I think the story could have been told in half the pages. I just got tired of reading it.
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A sweeping Civil War romance/drama.
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Arriving late to this Lynn Austin party, I am just blown away by how much I am enjoying her books! This 2nd of her Civil War triology, like the 1st, is very well researched, but when I read that the author is a historian and an educated archeologist, the depth and breadth of the historical details included in this novel all fall into place.
As a preteen, I fell in love with literature set during or concerning the Civil War, and this one tops my favorites list! My heart breaks with a well-developed character who pursues freedom and liberty for captives. The protagonists, there were more than one, in this book were courageous heroines! The story is told from their perspectives and though both come from opposite socioeconomic positions, the lenses through which they perceive and interpret the horrific events of the war are so similar! The effects of war level so many things. Themes of selflessness, humility, and servanthood permeated the storyline. I was so challenged and encouraged. I have the 3rd of this trilogy on reserve at my library and I cannot wait to dig in! -
Fantastic, fun historical fiction! The author did a great job of intertwining strong faith, beliefs, and courage. I especially love how it rebelled against the idea of a woman being considered a man’s property or “completion” – be that in family or marriage. The main character did a fabulous job of learning God’s design and plan for her life through humility, dedication, and trust in Him. You should never be required to crush and kill your dreams in order to marry a man. A true man will love you for your “obstinance, stubbornness, and spunk” and one should never settle for less than a similar true love💙
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Ik: 'Een vriendin gaf de tip om 's avonds op je e-reader te lezen om in slaap te vallen, want alle lampen kunnen dan al uit. Ik ga dit boek als 'avondboek lezen.'
Ook ik: * leest dit boek op elk vrij moment want heb het al een keer of vijf gelezen en hou ervan * -
This second book of Lynn Austin's Refiner's Fire Civil War Series looks at the war years through the eyes of a northern high society young woman and a poor gal from Western Virginia.
Themes are: Sacrificing self to respond to the needs of others, overcoming loneliness to learn to love, and discovering and answering God's call on your life.
I picked this book up eager for more information on Caroline and Charles and desiring to see how they rebuilt their life and relationship in the post-war years (Candle in the Darkness, Book 1 of the series). However, this book goes back to the beginning of the war to tell the civil war story from completely different perspectives. While the same years and events appear, characters from the first book are seldom mentioned or appear briefly.
Once again, I was impressed with Austin's writing style. Her grasp of relational dyanmic is once again strong (see my review on Eve's Daughter's) and I'm starting to grasp her wonderful ability of perspective (which was also evident in Eve's Daughters). She continues to spin clever stories, allowing her characters to intertwine at times, but not dependent on that to the point where you can expect they will meet up again. While it would have been tempting to have the characters from Book 1 or references to them play a stronger part, Austin has plenty to say without them. Her plots are neither formulaic nor filled with events one would predict. In this book, there were some things I suspected, but you never know with this author - I like it that she keeps me guessing.
It is true that this book lacks, somehow, the brilliance of Book 1, "Candle in the Darkness". But, I cannot determine what the difference is, and am wondering if it is me - maybe the themes in the first book were simply more applicable to my life, or addressed a current struggle more closely than those presented here. Nonetheless, this is a wonderful read. If all Christian fiction authors were as skilled as Lynn Austin, the genre would have a much better reputation!
There's more to this excellent series:
A Light to my Path, Austin, 2004
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... -
Julia Hoffman comes from a very wealthy family in Philadelphia in the 1860's. In order to win the heart of the local minister, Nathaniel Greene, she decides to change her life and give up all the daily luxuries of her life to become a nurse during the Civil War. There are many challenges that she faces as a single and beautiful woman that she must lie about herself to do what she wants to do.
Phoebe "Ike" Bigelow is a real tomboy who lives with her three older brothers. Both her parents have passed and all they know are each other. Her three brothers enlist in the war, rent out their cabin and farm which forces Phoebe to help a local family with their business and family. Phoebe is not domesticated at all and instead of suffering through her new job, she cuts her hair and goes to Kentucky to enlist in the Army as a man.
War changes everyone it touches, and Julia and Phoebe are no different. Along the way they both met some people who have a great impact on their lives. They learn about war, nursing, love and about God. When these two woman, from different walks of life, meet in an Army hospital and things are never the same.
This is the first book that I ever read from Lynn Austin and it will not be the last. I really enjoyed it! I originally read this for my local book club and the wholw group loved it that we are going back to read the first book of this series, Candle in the Darkness. Although each of these books can be read alone, some of the characters flow into all the books. I'll be starting it soon! -
I loved this - the Civil War, medical history, unexpected characters, masterful descriptions, emotions, triumphs. Wow.
Julia is a high society girl who becomes a nurse for the wrong reasons, but pushes through all the obstacles. She discovers a lot about herself and her relationship with God.
Phoebe is my favorite so often because she's simple but honest, and so insightful and just plain powerful in touching lives. Her story made me laugh, cringe, mourn, and smile.
One of my favorite scenes I thought it was golden.
I loved meeting these characters. So many good things to say about this. -
3.5 stars.
Lynn Austin is the author of one of my favorite books,
A Proper Pursuit, so I am always happy to read more of her work. She does an excellent job writing historical fiction. I loved the enlightenment I gained about the Civil War through reading Fire by Night. Right off, readers join the spectators at the battle of Bull Run. I can't imagine having a desire to witness war like it was a form of entertainment, but it really happened!
The characters were excellent, especially their transformations. Julia and Phoebe had very different journeys, but they both overcame some of their biggest internal battles. I really enjoyed Dr. McGrath's character too. He was very hard to like initially, but his story was also a great one to discover.
This was an excellent book, even though my desire to find out what would become of Julia and Phoebe moved much faster than the pacing of a few parts in the second half. -
Lynn Austin is such a good historical fiction author! I loved this novel, and it had a truly stunning story.
Content: this takes place during a war, so there are the usual things involved in that. Both of the women are very involved in the front efforts and both face a lot of bloodshed, injury, and death. A few kisses between unmarried couples, and a few between engaged couples. -
I always enjoy Lynn Austin's books, so this one was no surprise. It wasn't her easiest book to get into, it wasn't that it started slowly, but more that I had a harder time connecting with the main heroine. She wasn't very likable. But stick with her because her character arc is really something! I absolutely loved her by the end. The other main female character was more fascinating from the start. They are as different as chalk from cheese, but both really interesting characters. So worth reading!
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This book took longer to get into but got me more emotionally invested than the first one. Very good!!!
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Stâlpul de foc este o carte deosebit de profundă și emoționantă, una din cele mai bune cărți citite de mine vreodată!
Războiul Civil American reprezintă o adevărată piatră de hotar în istoria Americii. Nu poți înțelege pe deplin istoria Statelor Unite ale Americii fără să citești despre această imensă dramă, care a rupt o națiune în două. Frate a ajuns să lupte contra frate, prieteni de odinioară au devenit dușmani de moarte, albul și negru s-au amestecat, nu poți afirma că binele a fost doar de o parte și răul doar de alta. Tocmai de aceea, războiul de secesiune a reprezentat o inspirație pentru numeroși scriitori și regizori care au dezvoltat diverse povești despre acea perioadă zbuciumată, multe dintre ele bazate pe fapte reale.
Autoarea Lynn Austin a dovedit o foarte bună documentare referitoare la acest război, prezentând cu multă acuratețe diversele evenimente petrecute atunci. Galeria personajelor este și ea una fascinantă. La fel ca și vremurile în care trăiau, personajele sunt imperfecte, tăria caracterului le este pusă adesea la încercare, nu reușesc să ia cele mai bune decizii de fiecare dată, iar prioritățile li se schimbă pe măsură ce războiul avansează.
În primul volum din serie, Lumina din întuneric, am asistat la drama lui Caroline, tânăra sudistă sfâșiată între loialitatea față de logodnicul, tatăl și prietenii ei, pe de o parte, și dorința de a-i ajuta pe sclavi să-și recapete libertatea, de cealaltă parte.
În Stâlpul de foc acțiunea merge pe două fire împletite, urmărind destinele a două tinere unioniste - Julia Hoffman și Phoebe Bigelow -, care, deși extrem de diferite ca fizic și temperament, dovedesc ambele o mare tărie de caracter, transformându-se și maturizându-se de-a lungul războiului, învingându-și temerile, reordonându-și prioritățile, fixându-și principiile morale și găsindu-și în final calea de urmat în viață.
Recenzia mea:
https://www.delicateseliterare.ro/sta...
