Thank you for the privilege of reading Night Watch. I really enjoy reading historical fiction and I also have an interest in the Civil War.

The book was both ethereal and poetic. The description of the ridge - nature, flora, fauna was written beautifully as well as the character descriptions. The portrayal of the incidents in this book were both heartbreaking and heartwarming.

I lived outside of Philadelphia for 26 years. I have been to the Quaker Meeting House on Arch Street in Philadelphia several times. I have also been involved in tour planning for Eastern State Penitentiary - a novel approach to prison reform started by the Quakers.

My utmost regard for the women left behind during the Civil War (and all wars).

While I loved this book, I fear many will not perservere getting past the beginning of this book.

Fans of Civil War-era fiction are going to want to pick up this book. Through the evocative writing, I was transported to the hardscrabble life in the wooded hills near West Virginia – and all of its hardship. I cringed at the various injustices endured by women during the war (and the time period), but also was heartened by their intense will and strength.

This is a story of trauma brought on not only by war, but by the ugliness that seems inherent in humanity during both the best and worst of times.

I adored the character of Dearbhla, and in particular her homeopathic knowledge and the bit of magic and clairvoyance she seemed to possess for those she loved. The pre-asylum chapters are the ones that resonated with me the most.

The photos of the actual Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum were nice touches, and learning that this asylum, in real life, was actually ahead of its time in the moral treatment of patients was refreshing (if not also sad, realizing that its moral model was not to become the standard).

While the characters’ stories are laden with grief, I came away from the book feeling it was slightly predictable and a little contrived, aside from one portion of the ending. And that’s okay. It was still a lovely read, though I admit I got tripped up a few times on character motivations and whether I understood some of the resulting plot points (as well as some sentences). It honestly was a strange experience, making me question if my own life challenges simply distracted me from focus.

One way or the other, as this is my first Phillips book, and seeing that she’s written two previous war-themed stories, I am definitely interested in reading her backlist. If you enjoy books with mother-daughter themes, beautiful language, and appreciate literary historical fiction, this one might be for you!

3.75 rounded up

This is, above all, the love story of a family- of Dearbhla and the two young people she raised, of Conalee, and then of young Weed. Set during and immediately after the Civil War in the far reaches of West Virginia, in Alexandria Virginia, lastly (as well as firstly) at the "lunatic" asylum, it's centered on Eliza, who fell in love with someone she shouldn't have, ran with him and Dearbhla to the mountains, suffered terribly, and then is sent, along with her daughter Conalee to the asylum where they meet the Night Watch of the wards and young Weed. This is both subtle- there's a big secret that Phillips never spells out- and graphic- there are several very disturbing scenes. It all unfolds in a novel that needs to be read carefully without spoilers to fully appreciate. There are moments and people who are horrible and others who show great kindness and grace. It's been a while since Phillips published and this was well worth the wait. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Terrific read.

This was a really well done historical fiction looking at the trauma war can bring. Certainly check content warnings before reading. I appreciated the author's insight into trauma and how the women were really affected in the Civil War

A synopsis of such a complex book is difficult but I’ll try; it’s mainly about Eliza (and her daughter), a woman who loses everything after the Civil War. The novel is essentially about loss - Eliza loses almost everything - her husband, her freedom, her property, her children (except for her oldest daughter) and even her identity. The book has so many fascinating themes - grief, identity, what constitutes home, the sexist psychiatric landscape of the late 1800s, and socio-economic class. With her husband missing after the war, an ex-soldier trespasses on her land and imprisons her for ten years and then abandons her at an asylum as he steals everything from her.

Night Watch is an intense novel that you have to be ok reading through the difficult parts, and by difficult I mean descriptions of battle, injury, rape etc. Personally I found the writing beautiful but was honestly not drawn in until 40% into the book (almost put it down); however once I hit that part I was totally engrossed and was so happy I stuck with it as the story really hits its stride after that. In the end it’s a wonderful novel with important messages - highly recommend.

4.25 stars

Thank you to NetGalley, Knopf, Vintage, Anchor and Pantheon for the ARC to review

Night Watch is the complex story of rape, PTSD, and the state of psychiatric medicine in the United States after the Civil War. Eliza and her daughter ConaLee seemingly lose their husband and father to the War, and when a stranger attacks them and repeatedly rapes Eliza she becomes pregnant--and mute. The rapist takes Eliza and ConaLee to a hospital for the mentally ill, such as there was at this point in time, where they pose as a wealthy woman and her servant. Once there, Eliza begins to grapple with her trauma--in part by repressing much of it--and ConaLee makes discoveries about the institution and the others who reside there. There's a happy ending of sorts, and a comeuppance for the rapist. but I can't say that it was entirely satisfying. This will probably do very well with book clubs.

Atmospheric, eerie, and suspenseful, I had a great time reading Night Watch! I think that towards the middle of the book the story dragged just a little, but overall I had a great time reading this novel, and it fully got me into a fall-reading mood.

Amazing Civil War historical fiction with riveting characters, writing, settings, the whole works. See my full review on GoodReads at https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5828644386

This was the first book that I have read by Jayne Anne Phillips. I have went back and read some of her past work because of how much I enjoyed this book. I loved that it dealt with a subject during the Civil War that I had never heard spoken of before. Highly recommend!

This book was fast-paced and enthralling. I was absorbed in the post Civil-war years and the turbulence and uncertainty they brought to the masses. It was haunting and stayed with me many days after as I reconsidered the events and the way they were told in various lights. To put it simply, I was absorbed and entertained while I read. I think this will be a massive hit and I am sure that many of my patrons will enjoy it in the coming weeks!

Beautifully written but not a light read. A very twisty tale of historical fiction; set in post civil war West Virginia where a fractured family of mother and daughter struggle to survive in the absence of the husband/father lost while fighting for the North. When a usurper disrupts their lives, they survive until he delivers them to an asylum where the mother and daughter present themselves as patient of means and nursemaid.

Trigger warnings: Sexual violence.

(3.5 Stars)
Night Watch was a fast-paced, enthralling story that I found myself unable to put down. I truly enjoyed reading it and found myself almost immediately drawn into the characters and their stories. Definitely my favorite part of this book was the use of actual pictures and artifacts from the setting, which made the fictional story feel a whole lot more real. I also enjoyed the way all the characters and their individual POVs/stories came together and interacted with one another, in both timelines.
There was a lot going on in this book, which made it hard to follow at times, especially with the naming situation of the characters (i.e., the same characters being called multiple names or no name at all). I did receive this book as an ARC so know the formatting will be different when it is published, but the lack of quotation marks also made it a little hard to decipher. Please take that with a grain of salt because, again, this was an e-ARC.
I'm also going to say there is a major TW for SA, so please be mindful.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book and the characters in it, especially ConaLee and Weed, and the writing was beautiful.

Posted on Instagram & Goodreads:


TW- sexual assault described in detail, mention of self-injury, graphic description of battle wounds, mental illness

This was a compelling novel about a family torn apart in the Civil War. I enjoy historical fiction and when I saw that it was about an insane asylum in the 1800s I knew I had to read it. You won’t get a lot of creepy asylum vibes from this book but it is a dark portrayal of life in that time period. This book graphically details the harsh reality of the lawlessness that came with and after the Civil War, and it’s consequences, both physical and psychological in a way that brings them to life vividly. In one chapter the author draws parallels to the end times, and the way she described everything made me think that must be how it really felt to people back then.
The writing style/narration feels authentic in the way the characters would really think but that made it difficult to follow at the beginning before I was used to it. Once I got used to her writing style the story flowed beautifully, almost like a dream, and I found myself caught up in the story and wanted to know what would be the fates of each of the characters.

Fans of literary fiction will enjoy this book. The reasons I didn’t rate it higher are personal preference only- I tend to read “happier” books and have been less interested in literary fiction lately. I think if you enjoyed the type of writing/storytelling in All the Light We Cannot See or The Dutch House you will like this book.


Feedback just for publisher-

The description of the book doesn’t really fit. Make it seem like a mystery but the author makes the answer to that question obvious early on. The book is much more than the description

Jayne Anne Phillips' "Night Watch" is a poignant and introspective novel that navigates the labyrinthine corridors of trauma, resilience, and the interplay between past and present. With lyrical prose that holds a mirror to the human soul, Phillips crafts a haunting narrative that lingers long after the final page.

Set against the backdrop of a small West Virginia town, the story follows Clara, a young woman grappling with the aftermath of a traumatic incident from her past. The narrative unfurls through a tapestry of perspectives, each thread weaving together the lives of various characters who are connected by shared experiences and secrets. As the characters' lives intersect and diverge, Phillips delves into the complexities of memory, identity, and the ways in which the past continues to cast its shadow on the present.

Phillips' writing is evocative and atmospheric, painting a vivid portrait of the town and its inhabitants. The descriptions of the landscape and the characters' inner emotions are rendered with an almost poetic quality, creating an immersive reading experience that draws readers into the heart of the story. The author's ability to capture the nuances of human thought and emotion adds depth and authenticity to the characters' struggles.

At its core, "Night Watch" is a character-driven exploration of trauma and healing. Clara's journey is one of self-discovery and reconciliation, and the book doesn't shy away from depicting the raw and sometimes uncomfortable aspects of her psychological journey. The novel masterfully depicts the intricacies of trauma's lasting effects, highlighting the courage it takes to confront painful memories and rebuild a shattered sense of self.

The narrative structure of the book, with its alternating perspectives and shifts in time, can be both a strength and a challenge. While it allows for a multifaceted understanding of the characters and their experiences, it might also require readers to invest a little more effort to fully grasp the interconnectedness of the stories.

"Night Watch" is a novel that invites readers to contemplate the far-reaching consequences of trauma and the indomitable human spirit's capacity for resilience. While it's not a light read, its exploration of profound themes and its unflinching examination of the human condition make it a thought-provoking and impactful book. If you're seeking a literary journey that delves into the complexities of memory, healing, and the bonds that tie us together, "Night Watch" is a book that merits a place on your reading list.

Big thanks to NetGalley and to Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review!

Thanks to Netgalley and Knopf for the ebook. This book deals with the trauma in the years following the Civil War, about both those who fought and families left behind. ConaLee is twelve and accompanies her mother to a mental hospital in West Virginia after her mother hasn’t spoken in a year. We also get to know the doctor who runs the hospital, the nurse who oversees its smooth operation and an orphaned boy, Weed, who slips in and out of all parts of the hospital, finding all its secrets. There’s also the large Night Watch who helps in all areas of the hospital, working mostly alone, who has survived a massive head wound that seems to erase all memories of the horror of war, but also all memories of his family.

When young ConaLee joins her mother at a lunatic asylum, posing as her maid, we learn about their lives. From Eliza’s husband to the war, and to the man who deposited the two at the asylum. But what we also see is how a doctor’s kindness and humane treatment helps Eliza and to hers like her.



While I was a bit confused at times, I found this to ultimately be a truly engrossing and touching book. I’m glad I came across this one, even if it wasn’t quite what I was expecting…because it turned out to be a real treasure.

There are a lot of secrets in Jayne Anne Phillips’s haunting novel, Night Watch. They slowly unspool over the course of 300 pages in a way that made me feel like I almost couldn’t bear to hear another, while at the same time drawing me along until every bit of plot had been wrung out of the characters. But then, set against the turmoil and trauma of the American Civil War, I suppose it’s not surprising to see what the small family at the heart of this novel has to bear.

Like many novels about concealed, Night Watch is told in a nonlinear fashion and from the perspective of characters who observe much but say little. Our primary narrator is ConaLee, a young girl who had to grow up fast as her mother sank into a deep depression. ConaLee is, on the one hand, extremely capable and, on the other, the kind of character who I wanted to see given a chance to be a carefree child. Our other narrator is ConaLee’s grandmother—at least ConaLee thinks Dearbhla is her grandmother. ConaLee is our eyes and ears in the novel’s present, in the early 1870s, when she and her mother appear at the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum in Weston, West Virginia. Dearbhla fills us in on what happened to ConaLee’s parents before and during the war. Other voices join ConaLee and Dearbhla’s occasionally to share secrets the two aren’t privy to.

Through the eyes of these very competent yet vulnerable women, we see tragedy and violence and the tightness of family bonds. There are points in Night Watch that reminded me of Charles Frazier’s Cold Mountain, especially when a Southern deserter arrives to inflict terrible violence on ConaLee’s mother. There are several passages that are hard to read; thankfully, they’re brief. Their inclusion—along with one character’s harrowing narration of the Battle of the Wilderness and an amnesiac’s description of a long convalescence after that same battle—serves as a powerful less of how careless people can be with the bodies and souls of persons they consider property or cannon fodder.

Lest my description make it sound like Night Watch is nothing but misery, I want to add that the conclusion to the novel contains redemption in the form of characters regaining agency over their bodies. Characters claim their freedom by finding new names and new paths or through the reclamation of their memories or through the permanent removal of their tormenters. There isn’t a happily ever for everyone in this book but there’s plenty of narrative satisfaction to go around.

Readers who enjoy stories of the Civil War that focus on the collateral damage of the fighting rather than the military history will like Night Watch, I think, as will readers who are curious about the wide experience of mental illness in the nineteenth century. If nothing else, I’d say pick Night Watch up for its stunning characters.

When twelve-year old ConaLee's father rips her away from her secluded home in the mountains of West Virginia and drops her off at the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum along with her mother, she must learn to adapt to her new environment while keeping an eye on her mother who is slowly responding to head doctor's form of "moral" treatment. The novel shifts between various points of view and jumps around in time from the pre-Civil War years to 1874 when ConaLee arrives at the lunatic asylum.



NIGHT WATCH was an interesting but confusing story. I just couldn't get into it. Depending on which characters' perspective for the chapter, the writing could be difficult to read and understand. My main reason for reading the novel was the setting—I visited the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum years ago and I jumped at the chance to read a novel set there while the asylum was in operation.

Night Watch is a strangely haunting novel created by Phillips’ skill in imbuing practically every sentence with echoes of grief and the will to survive. The story spans various timelines and perspectives but centers on the relationship and experiences of a mother (Eliza) and daughter (ConaLee) who are dropped off at an asylum in the wake of the Civil War. Burdened by the trauma of loss and abuse, Eliza and ConaLee attempt to heal within the asylum while also seeking answers from their past.

Phillips is a master at crafting sentences; there were so many that I had to reread due to their simultaneous beauty and mystery if that makes any sense. This novel humanizes in a way that history textbooks cannot. We learn about the consequences of war, the emotional effects of war but not the war itself. Maybe that is the point as Phillips writes “the fighting has ceased, but not the grief”.

The main problem I had with the book was that I just couldn’t connect with certain aspects of the plot. I enjoyed best the sections in which Phillips delved into memory and the emotions of characters, particularly Dearbhla and ConaLee. When these were absent, sometimes I found the storylines a bit contrived or confusing. However, during the times in which the direction of the book fell flat, the narration consistently amazed me. Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor for this ARC.

Night Watch by Jayne Anne Phillips is a heavily researched, well thought out novel about a family’s journey in the aftermath of the civil war. It was heartbreaking and intriguing to learn about as I have never focused solely on the civil war as a history buff. And the mental institutions of the time was equally as interesting. I actually didn’t even know they existed then and I want to go visit this one in West Virginia now! (It still exists, thanks for that tidbit at the end!) history lovers and beyond will enjoy this book. 4/5 ⭐️ thank you netgalley, Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor for my eARC in exchange for an honest review.