Night Watch was a fascinating historical fiction about the Civil War, the effects on both soldiers and civilians in the aftermath of the war and the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum in West Virginia. The story is told mainly through the eyes of Conalee, a young girl tasked with taking care of her mother and young half siblings.
Conalee’s father went to war, fighting for the Union, before she was even born. He expected to be home within months. But an accident robs him of his eye and his memory. Meanwhile, a Rebel deserter forces himself into the lives of the family left behind. When he tires of them, he deposits them at The Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum. The TALA is an actual place and the book includes pictures from when it was operational.
The story was haunting and at times graphically brutal. But it is also about endurance and resolve. All the characters came across as realistic and fully formed. There is a small touch of magical realism, as Dearbhla has the ability to sense where her loved ones are.
The writing was wonderfully descriptive and I was totally drawn into this story. At times, it had a dream quality to it. The ending was a bit predictable but not enough to lessen my appreciation of the story.
What a treat to finally have a story involving an asylum where the residents were treated well and actually cared for under a practice known as Moral Treatment.
My thanks to Netgalley and Knopf Books for an advance copy of this book.netgalley92 s16 comments Angela M 1,337 2,163

4+ stars
The wounds of war, both the physical and emotional trauma, slavery, mental illness, grief, created family defying family roots, healing nurtured by humanity are among the multiple themes covered in this post Civil War novel. The story of twelve year old ConaLee Connelly and her family is painful to read, dark at times . It’s sad and gut wrenching, yet touching and hopeful. The book opens with ConaLee accompanying her traumatized mother to an insane asylum for healing, leaving her three younger siblings behind.

I d the structure of the novel presenting different points of view in different time frames. It served to tell us more about ConaLee, her mother and the other main characters, as well as put together puzzle pieces , how the present situation came to be . My favorite perspective is that of ConaLee, who at twelve is an old soul, wise for her age, carrying burdens no twelve year old should have to bear. She’s another child character who stole my heart. It’s tough one to read, but I was definitely invested and immersed in the story. Much happened before and after their journey to the asylum. I leave it at that. I recommend you discover the story for yourself.

The chapters are interspersed with quotes by Dr . Thomas Story Kirkbride and after reading about him online and the author’s note at the end, we learn that the asylum was a real place and that he was known for the humane treatment of patients at the asylum un asylums of that time I have read about. A worthwhile story to read .

I read this with with Diane as our usual monthly read.

I received a copy of this book from Knopf through NetGalley.
netgalley-58 s10 comments Sujoya(theoverbookedbibliophile)- Lots of catching up to do! 600 1,996

3.5??

Set in the aftermath of the Civil War the novel opens in 1874 where we meet twelve-year-old ConaLee and her mother, Eliza, who has been mute for over a year as they are dropped off by a man she calls “Papa” at the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum in West Virginia. O’Shea, the Night Watch lets them in and eventually, they find refuge in the Asylum, with Eliza under the care of the Physician Superintendent and ConaLee hiding the truth of her relationship with Eliza to be employed with the Asylum as caregiver to Eliza in return for room and board.

As the narrative progresses, we get to know more about ConaLee and Eliza’s story and the people and events that led to the present day. Eliza’s husband never returned from the War and with Dearbhla, who had raised her as her only friend, Eliza’s life had not been easy. Eliza’s story of loss and grief, fear, and abuse. Under the care of the kind doctor and the “Moral Treatment” practices in the asylum, Eliza begins to heal and ConaLee begins to search for answers about her mother’s past.

Night Watch by Jayne Anne Phillips is an interesting work of historical fiction that touches upon themes of PTSD, the ravages of war, trauma and abuse, mental health, and healing. The author describes the setting well and paints a vivid picture of life in the post-Civil War period. The main characters are well-developed, and the story is overall engaging despite the uneven pacing and slightly disjointed narrative that moves between past and present. The pace of the novel is on the slower side in the first half and uneven throughout. I thought the ending was rushed and a tad contrived, which is why I cannot give this novel a higher rating, though I did the plot structure and how the story developed until the final quarter of the novel. Please note that there are disturbing descriptions of war injuries and sexual assault, which might be triggering for some readers.

The narrative is interspersed with quotes by Dr . Thomas Story Kirkbride, a physician known for his compassionate and respectful methods of treating the mentally ill. I found parts of the narrative quite informative and was motivated to read more about Dr. Kirkbride's methods for treating the mentally ill and about the Asylum which was a psychiatric hospital in West Virginia that was in operation from 1864 until 1994.

Many thanks to Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, Anchor and NetGalley for the digital review copy. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. Night Watch was published on September 19, 2023.

Connect with me! ? Instagram ? My Blog ? The StoryGraph50 s6 comments Jenna307 76

All I can say of this is that it read a lost sort of feminist novel of Faulkner? However…editing my review to reflect I thought that the first half of the book was excellent and the second … maybe too much a Faulkner imitation competition and things just got a bit unwieldy. The plot and historical content were entirely interesting and important enough and could have been told in a straightforward way to continue to be effective. Trigger warning for adult sexual assault.2023-reading-challenge reviewed26 s2 comments Kate O'Shea789 74

A book I struggled greatly with in the beginning half.

The story revolves around Cona Lee, her mother Eliza and grandmother Dearbhla. Cona Lee's father has gone to fight in the civil war but is missing. Her grandmother (a possessor of certain strange knowledge) knows he is alive but not quite where. She goes to find her son but whilst she is away a man arrives and forces both Cona Lee and her mother into submission. As Dearbhla searches for her son the situation for Eliza becomes desperate and she finally descends into mutism and takes to her bed though this does not stop the man calling himself Papa from abusing her. Can Dearbhla persuade him that letting Eliza go will be better for him?

We begin this story as Papa drops Eliza and Cona Lee off at the Trans-Allegheny Asylum where they are let in by the mysterious Night Watch, O'Shea.

As I say, I struggled with the beginning half of the book. There are some very graphic rape scenes which are horrifying to read. I couldn't quite get a hold on the characters either. So little is spoken and so much implied that I felt as though I were second guessing a lot of the time.

However once we are on firmer footing at the asylum the story really begins to unfold and I found myself deeply involved in the story of Eliza, Cona Lee, O'Shea and a strange child named Weed, who also lives at the asylum.

I found the ending very bittersweet but it was simply more realistic than I wished for.

This is historical fiction more of the actual asylum in some ways. There are photographs and quotes from the man who was the superintendent/physician at the asylum, Thomas Story Kirkbride. The asylum (for anyone interested) has been restored recently and runs tours. Kirkbride's story is a fascinating one and worth some investigation.

All in all I'd recommend this book to any historical fiction fans who something a little different.

Thankyou to Netgalley and Little Brown for the advance review copy.13 s Bilena9 2

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.11 s2 comments Bri270 16 Read

I do not think that this was the right book for me. I really really wanted to love this book, but I could not connect to the characters or the writing style.10 s1 comment Alena921 278

I am in awe. Jayne Anne Phillips just never disappoints. I hold Lark & Termite in my heart as an all time favorite but I think this Civil War era masterpiece may now be my favorite of her many great books. I especially appreciate the way she weaves her lyrical story-telling and brilliant character development into a story that is clearly well-researched and historically accurate. This is historical fiction at its finest - plus a perfect mix and darkness and light that always draws me in..
ConaLee is a heroine who speaks right to my heart - a young girl in terrible circumstances who depends on her own intelligence and heart to survive. She is no princess in need of rescue; she is strong and smart and caring. I could see her clearly and fell in love.
All of the characters are so beautifully realized and sympathetic. Phillips balances the horrors of war and rape (not an easy read for sure) with such heart and integrity in the storytelling. Once I truly settled in, I just couldn't put it down. I was horrified by war while at the same time fascinated by the lunatic asylum that is the backdrop for most of the plot. The details are so compelling.9 s Emma2,571 990

I found this story incredibly moving. I know relatively little about the American civil war and this novel was a fascinating insight into its refugees and displaced soldiers , although not necessarily a comfortable one. Thanks to Netgalley for an arc of this book.america-hf family historical-fiction ...more7 s Rebecca Milton83

TRIGGER WARNING: Detailed sexual assault.

I wanted to this book but ended up skipping about a hundred pages in the middle to finish bc I’ve been TRUDGING through this one for weeks.

The writing style is difficult- no quotation marks to assign words to a character. I so tired of the word “babbies.”

The story is slow and dry. After 150 pages I just couldn’t do it anymore.

Super misleading book sleeve synopsis.7 s1 comment Beth Farley511 16

I'm a little puzzled by the title of this, as it refers to one of the characters at the asylum, but this is a story about several other characters as well that you spend as much, or more time with. I did enjoy the stark writing without dialogue quotation marks, once I got used to it, but then questioned why the details were necessary during a traumatic event described. And also, some of her sentences just didn't make any sense to me. And then that ending . . . . Hmmmm, maybe this should be less than 4 stars for me, but the structure of the story was too clever and the cover was too perfect to lower it.6 s Bbecca_marie696 14

3.5 ?? rounded up. I struggled to rate this one but RTC 6 s Jan1,170 29

Phillips earned a spot on the 2023 National Book Award Longlist for this historical novel showing the Civil War’s aftermath for three women in Appalachia. The sentence-level writing was nice, but the multiple timelines and points of view made for a choppy reading experience. 3.5 stars rounding up.6 s7 comments Susan1,200 29

Content warning: sexual assault on page, mentions of physical abuse of asylum patents by staff

Head's up, you might want to avoid NIGHT WATCH if reading books that include dialogue without quotation marks bugs you. This is a stylistic choice I do not understand, nor did I enjoy reading.

NIGHT WATCH has a good story, but I couldn't get past the writing style or how meandering the plot was. I feel this book should have been 100 pages less. There was also no reason to have the sexual assault of Eliza happening on page. I did enjoy the historical photos and elements about the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum in West Virginia though.

Advanced Reader’s Copy provided by NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor in exchange for an honest review.2023-reads arc-giveaways4 s Chantel Worley McCray220 35

This was weird, beautiful, and strangely mesmerizing. The story focuses on a mother and daughter in the chaotic aftermath of the Civil War. They are being dropped off at an insane asylum, told to assume new identities and histories in order to take refuge at the asylum. The story goes back in time to tell the real story of who these women are, what has happened to them, and how they came to this moment. 4 s Kathryn BashaarAuthor 2 books94

As this story opens in 1874, ConaLee, age 13, and her mother are being driven to an insane asylum by a man who s to be called Papa, but whom the reader quickly discerns is probably not her father. Papa has already disposed of ConaLee’s three younger siblings by farming them out to neighbors. ConaLee’s mother is mute and nearly catatonic. The family is poor, but Papa has come by some lady clothes for Mama, and instructs ConaLee to present Mama as a genteel lady and herself as a servant.

The story then takes the reader back to 1864, where we meet ConaLee’s real father, who will have more than one name in his life but here is just called the Sharpshooter. He’s a soldier in the Civil War and suffers a catastrophic head wound that costs him one eye and his memory. ConaLee, Mama and tough, kindly neighbor Dearblha await his return from the war in vain.

We briefly go back even earlier to the 1850s, where we learn how Mama and the Sharpshooter met, and their connection to Dearblha.

In the compassionate atmosphere of the asylum, Mama slowly recovers her speech and her sense of self. But she and ConaLee must be careful to maintain the fiction that admitted them. And they will soon encounter two ghosts from their past, one of them very unwelcome.

The various mysteries, and the characters’ heartbreaking hardships really drew me into this book. But it bogs down a little about two-thirds of the way through. Mama’s slowness to recognize the asylum’s night watchman for who he is seemed implausible and it dragged on too long. And we never get to witness her moment of realization, missing a chance for some high drama.

The ending was heartbreaking, although I have to admit that it was appropriate.

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Author of The Saint's MistressThe Saint's MistressThe Saint's Mistress3 s Magdelanye1,780 228

the long past full of whispers, souls, cries and distance traveled with her. The present was hazy with smells and sounds, for the present was past. p97

I wondered I could lie so well. A liar was evil. But all stories were lies and I knew so many. 28

The Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum was in fact located in a real place in West Virginia, as well documented by the photographs interspersed among the chapters. For an institution of its day, it appears an oasis of calm, with well tended lawns and shrubbery; there are plenty of paths for promenades, and even carriage rides for the better behaved and genteel ladies.
Treatment was organized on the premise that

moral treatment, safety, rest,
might heal even those whose traumas once rendered them silent. p223

Jayne Anne Phillips writes with deft assurance and admirable restraint of the assumptions, biases, and often brutal circumstances that stamped the chaos post the American Civil War. In no way polemical, she does make her position clear.

Men hunted, imprisoned us - they enslaved, shackled, burned down the country. And the just men suffered the cruelties. War scars last. Generations. p206

This is a compelling exploration of the impact of trauma on memory and sanity and identity.
It is also an amazing chronicle of resilience and ingenuity.

there is no forever. We are on our walk and the day is fine....Others died, or fled, or forgot who they were. Endurance was strength....a force separating the days, clearing the way. p2750nward biographical-fiction coming-of-age-initiation ...more3 s Karin1,325 45

Oh man. I LOVED this but there were a few choices she made that kept this from a five star read. The extremely graphic rape scene for one thing, but it's only over a few pages and can be skipped. And the ending, it wasn't exactly what I wanted. But the author created characters that I grew very attached to, and I loved this look at post civil war life, how that war completely decimated family units and how each individual basically had to be rebuilt after years of trauma. I only read this because of the NBA longlist, super super glad I did. I'll be thinking about it a lot.3 s Taylor Kennedy335 1 follower

Maybe not the best audiobook to listen to while unpacking your nursery
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