All Other Nights: A Novel

Jacob Rappaport, a Jewish soldier in the Union army during the Civil War, receives orders on Passover 1862 to murder his own uncle in New Orleans, who is plotting to assassinate President Lincoln. After completing this mission, Jacob is recruited for a second assignment: to marry a daughter of a Virginia family friend who is working as a spy, rather than kill her. Their marriage and its consequences expose deep divisions in American life. The novel draws on real historical figures including Judah Benjamin, the Confederacy's Jewish secretary of state and spymaster, and incorporates historical events such as an African American spy network and Richmond's destruction. The story explores themes of loyalty and betrayal, and serves as a parable about the enduring American rift between those who prioritize family and tradition and those committed to social and racial justice.