Fire by Night

This is one of the best books I ever listened too. It is the story of two young women who are eighteen years old and how they grow up and mature during the last three years of the Civil War.

Each girl takes on very different roles, one as a nurse and one as a soldier, and it is so interesting hearing how they get where they are, and how they live and manage to get by-- and when their paths cross and the soldier is found out to be a woman, they become friends.

This is a story of determination, strength of character, faith and courage, friendship and love, and a realistic view of how things were during and after the battles were fought. The female characters will touch your hearts and the male characters will intrigue you because they have their own stories and struggles within the book-- and the ending is so sweet and so very well done that you might want to listen to it again and again.

This is a fantastic novel and the attention to detail is amazing. The characters live and breathe through the different voice tones of the reader and there is never a dull moment-- and quite a few surprises. It's a story that will be remembered long after the book ends and if you like richly developed plots, a cast of characters that are well defined, and feel good books, you should love this one!

I loved this book! I have never read anything by Lynn Austin and chose it because of the reviews. I was very suprised to find that I cleaned longer, worked out longer, drove my car slower- anything that kept me listening to my ipod longer. The story took some turns you might not like but in the end it left me smiling. I highly recommend this book!

Engaging, authentic, inspiring

Lynn Austen's books relating to the Civil War have a Gone With the Wind flavor with a heroine you can admire. Her rich detail comes from thorough research that gives this inspiring story and its characters their depth.

Christina Moore always brings the emotion and color that adds so much meaning to the story. Her ability to develop each character with a unique vocal style is the basis of that color.

Once I've been drawn into one of Austen's stories, I just want to stay in it to see how the characters will grow and develop their faith.

I think Austen always finds a perfect balance between a message of faith and an engaging example of historical fiction.

I enjoyed fire by night. I found the story of both girls captivating. Phoebe (disguised as a union soldier), and Julia as a 'married nurse,' but I really feel this novel should've been two separate books. I found it incredibly disconcerting to switch back and forth between the two major protagonists especially when they didn't meet at all until the middle. I also didn't like Julia's romance at all. What is with authors finding the angriest, annoying and antagonistic male character and making him the love interest? Yuck. Seems like a recipe for an abusive relationship to me.

I also liked the Ted/Phoebe storyline. At least until the end. Ted was such a cute character. I would've liked to have seen this romance end differently.

Overall, an enjoyable story, but a disappointing romantically. I remained unconvinced at the end that these to characters were with the right partners.4 stars.

This was a wonderful story that mixed civil war history with integrity, kindness and love. The author bound these attributes together with strong Christian values. I will listen to it many times. It not only entertained me with an uplifting love story, it furthered my knowledge of the difficult and painful Civil War times.

This is an excellent story, told from a different perspective on the Civil war.

I especially appreciated hearing the story from the perspective of those caring for the wounded. How overwhelming it was for the doctors and nurses as they cared for the wounded and dying soldiers. Their personal lives being entertwined with each other as they served. This story truly captured the sights and sounds of the Civil war for me.

She captured the personalities of the characters very well. She used the appropriate inflections for the story.

When Phoebe had to make the choice to shoot Julia's abductor, even though she didn't want to kill him, she had to make the decision to do so in order to save Julia's life.

A very well written book with good character development and progresion of story.

I never had any interest whatsoever in the Civil War until I stumbled upon "A Light To My Path". I have not only read the trilogy, but have been to Gettysburg twice! I also have devoured all of Lynn Austin's books and have started researching some of the other topics she has laid out. Her stories are faith-based and truly inspiring.

I really like anything she writes, and I have to say that "Fire By Night" is my all time favorite. I have listened to this book a few times and hope to listen to it many more. Christina Moore does an outstanding job interpreting each character.

HOWEVER: I read the paperback first (which I also loved) and noticed that the section describing Phoebe's brother Willard on the deathbed was omitted in the Audible version. To me this was a very important part of the original story, as it gave even more insight into Phoebe's character.

Fire by Night opens by placing us smack-dab in the middle of the Civil War battle of Bull Run, so you immediately that the author's not holding anything back. For those of you who don't need quite so much realism in your fiction, be aware that this is a frank look at the trials of the army doctor and nurse and the Union infantry. The battles go on and on and the field hospital truly is a grisly place.

The characters are well-developed and I genuinely cared about Julia, Phoebe and all the others, but two things about this book really dragged me down. First, it was long... I mean, LONG: Twelve hours of audio. Second, the whole book seemed to be centered around this idea of penance and atonement. Although there is a place for that, it did seem to overshadow the simple gospel.

I had no idea that this book was part of a trilogy, but I don't think it hurt much to read this one out of order. I must give Austin credit for surprising me more than once with a plot twist. I honestly didn't expect everyone's lives to take the turns they did until right before it happened. That was satisfying, but I don't think I will go back for book one or three.

This was a good story, especially if you are looking for a good book without filthy language and disgusting topics. It gave me a real appreciation for what women through the years have went through so that we can be free to follow our dreams and not be limited to certain career choices. It also reminded me of what a blood bath the Civil war was. I can't imagine what it must have been like living in those times.

excellent ,excellent,excellent! very good reader,very enjoyable listening. the history is interwoven & the scripture applied so appropriately.would recommend it highly.