Fire by Night:

My friend, who recommended this series to me, says that this is her favorite of the three books. After reading the first book, I said to myself- “I don't think it's possible to like the next book better, because this one was so good!” But it happened. I loved this book at least as much, if not more, than Candle in the Darkness.

Each of the books in this trilogy has a different perspective and new (though related) characters. This book follows two main characters, alternating between them usually each chapter. And while book 1 was set mostly in the South, this one was set mostly in the North.

The first main character is Julia Hoffman, a girl from a well-to-do family used to being waited upon her whole life, whose idea of a problem is trying to decide which suitor to marry. She decides, mostly on a whim, to try to prove that her life can be more meaningful than it has been by becoming a nurse, and this decision changes her whole life. I really loved Julia, and her journey to decipher her motives and discover her relationship with God was very moving for me to read. One of her suitors (actually most of them) want to fit her in a box and basically use her as an accessory to his own life, and she starts to want more than that in her future marriage. This whole process of finding her value and worth apart from being a wife meant a lot to me on several levels.

The other main character is Phoebe Bigelow, a poor farm girl who finds herself all alone and decides to disguise herself as a boy and join the Union army. I really liked her character as well. At the beginning of the book, she feels unworthy of love, and believes that she will never experience it herself. The relationships she makes along the way, including with Julia, help her to see herself as worthy of love, and she also finds a relationship with God- who loves her the most. Her straightforward nature was refreshing, and her childlike faith at the end moved me to actual tears. And it takes a lot to make me cry while reading.

It also was interesting to read about the war from the perspective of doctors and nurses. They literally traveled around with the army to help the wounded immediately after the battles. It was horrifying and sobering to read of the destruction and bloodshed that human beings are capable of. But the story overall was a beautiful one, in spite of the tragedies.

I recommend this series to historical fiction readers.