Book 2 of Refiner's Fire. The drama of the Civil War unfolds through the eyes of two very different Northern girls. Lovely Julia Hoffman has always...
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reviews
Nov 24, 2009
rjp316
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Another good book by Lynn Austin – this book about two women (one rich the other poor) who live during the Civil War and side with the Northern side. I liked the fact that this book used a few of the same characters from the first book in the series, Candle in the Darkness, but also introduced new characters, new battles and took place at a slightly different time during the civil war. I really liked the major themes in this book: loving yourself as you are because Christ does, serving for ot
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Sep 12, 2009
Louise
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Lynn Austin continues to be one of my most favourite authors. Her novels are well written with such depth, and the characters are always developed well. The story lines are memorable, the message in each novel leave us important lessons but are not written in an outward, awkward, fire and brimstone way.
This is a beautiful story set during the first world war. Julia Hoffman, the daughter of a Judge, lives an extraordinary life in a mansion with maids and dressers at her beck and call. More...
This is a beautiful story set during the first world war. Julia Hoffman, the daughter of a Judge, lives an extraordinary life in a mansion with maids and dressers at her beck and call. More...
Sep 09, 2009
Kathryn
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Jun 30, 2011
Camille
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I truly loved this whole trilogy. My book club started with the third book in the series, and I loved it so much that I HAD to read the other two. Each one is set during the civil war and each story is told from different view points during parallel times. One time we read about a slave owner and her slaves. Another book covers a slave owner who is sympathetic to the slaves and helps them. And the third book covers a young girl who serves in the war. All the characters cross over with each
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Jun 24, 2010
Kasi
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Book 2 of Refiner’s Fire. The drama of the Civil War unfolds through the eyes of two very different Northern girls. Lovely Julia Hoffman has always enjoyed the carefree life of her well-to-do family, but when she fails to attract the attention of Rev. Nathaniel Greene, a fierce abolitionist, she determines to bring meaning to her empty and shallow existence. When she becomes a Union nurse, her eyes are opened to the realities of war and suffering. She also meets Phoebe, who has entered the army
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May 09, 2011
Diane U
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Julia Hoffman comes from a very wealthy family in Philadelphia in the 1860's. In order to win the heart of the local minister, Nathaniel Greene, she decides to change her life and give up all the daily luxuries of her life to become a nurse during the Civil War. There are many challenges that she faces as a single and beautiful woman that she must lie about herself to do what she wants to do.
Phoebe "Ike" Bigelow is a real tomboy who lives with her three older brothers. B More...
Phoebe "Ike" Bigelow is a real tomboy who lives with her three older brothers. B More...
Feb 18, 2009
~larissa
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One of my favorite books! I've read it 3 or 4 times now. It is a mixture of historical fiction and Christian Romance set in the time of the Civil War. Two stories happen side by side and eventually intertwine. One young lady is from a very well to do family and is in love with a pastor. She is trying to win his affection when she hears him say that she is very self-conceited and can't do anything for herself. She decides to prove him wrong by becoming a nurse. The other story is about a
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Jun 15, 2010
Angie
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I have read the first 70 pages of this and liked it pretty good even though I was prepred to not like it. I had to give it to someone else to read, so I hope to pick up another copy soon and finish the story.
Ok--So I got the book from the library and finished it this morning. I really did like the book and was glad that it ended well. The author did a good job of mixing the fiction with biblical and christian references. They did not feel forced, but a natural part of the story. More...
Ok--So I got the book from the library and finished it this morning. I really did like the book and was glad that it ended well. The author did a good job of mixing the fiction with biblical and christian references. They did not feel forced, but a natural part of the story. More...
Nov 02, 2010
Annika
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I didn't think I would enjoy this story as much as I did. Fire by Night is the moving story of two different women from different backgrounds during the Civil War. One is a wealthy socialite who wants to find meaning in her life aside from tea parties and dinner parties. The other, a strong tom-boy with no parents and her brothers gone off to war, she decides to disguise herself as a man and join the army. This was a moving story depicting the horror of war and terrible loss of life, but also
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Jun 05, 2010
Laura
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I am pickin gup a theme in Austin's book. She always has some element that ends in tragedy. Many of her loose ends all tie up very neatly, romantically, spiritually. But, there seems to always be one side that is heart breaking sad. Life is about loss and coping with loss- whether it be true loss as in death, but as well in relationships. It is a true side of life and Austin keeps life true in her books. I enjoyed this one, although I think she got a little carried away on the 'spiritual s
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Feb 18, 2010
Karma
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I really enjoyed the second book in Austin's trilogy. I found the characters in this book much more believable but I often felt annoyed with the redundancy of the plot. I was amazed again at how terribly the Union fought the civil war - it is amazing the north ever won and I felt so badly for the frustrated soldiers. I really enjoyed the love story in this book!!! I am a sucker for a sweet romance! I read most of this book while in the hospital after Cooper was born - I will always have nos
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Aug 16, 2010
Andrea
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I had about two seconds to pick a book off of my mom's bookshelf before I had to go and this is the one I picked. I ended up liking it more than I initially thought I would. I thought the love story was very sweet and it unexpectedly sucked me in. I probably won't read any more of her books though. These Christian authors drive me insane. The way the characters talk about God and religion is so over-the-top and just too cheesy for me. It really gets in the way of the story and I find mysel
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Jul 05, 2010
Sammy
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I was surprised by just how immersed in this book I became. Maybe it's because I headed into it with a bit of trepidation because after the last historical, Christian novel I read I was very disappointed. Fire by Night was a completely different creature.
The thing I appreciated most was that at no point did I ever feel like I was being preached at. The presence of God throughout the novel was there and touched upon frequently, but it wasn't forced upon the reader as something they More...
The thing I appreciated most was that at no point did I ever feel like I was being preached at. The presence of God throughout the novel was there and touched upon frequently, but it wasn't forced upon the reader as something they More...
Jul 17, 2008
Holly (2 Kids and Tired)
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Book 2 in the Refiner's Fire series. It is not a sequel to the first book, Candle in the Darkness. Rather, it tells the story of the Civil War from the viewpoint of two different Northern young women. One of whom, Julia, is related to Caroline of Candle in the Darkness. Julia is the spoiled socialite daughter of a wealthy Northern family. She sets her sights on Nathaniel Greene, a preacher and strong abolitionist. He views her as shallow and selfish and she sets out to prove him wrong. Sh
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Apr 23, 2008
Katharine
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This is the second in a series of Christian historical romance novels set in the Civil War. The first was about a southern young woman; this one follows two girls on the Union side. One is a wealthy society lady who becomes a nurse to impress her minister crush; the other is a poor woman who enlists as a man rather than be left behind by her brothers.
The writing is above average for Christian fiction, and seems to be fairly historically accurate. The descriptions of the horrible con More...
The writing is above average for Christian fiction, and seems to be fairly historically accurate. The descriptions of the horrible con More...
May 04, 2008
Ebookwormy
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This second book of Lynn Austin's Refiner's Fire Civil War Series looks at the war years through the eyes of a northern high society young woman and a poor gal from Western Virginia.
Themes are: Sacrificing self to respond to the needs of others, overcoming loneliness to learn to love, and discovering and answering God's call on your life.
I picked this book up eager for more information on Caroline and Charles and desiring to see how they rebuilt their life and relationsh More...
Themes are: Sacrificing self to respond to the needs of others, overcoming loneliness to learn to love, and discovering and answering God's call on your life.
I picked this book up eager for more information on Caroline and Charles and desiring to see how they rebuilt their life and relationsh More...
Feb 19, 2008
Beth
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Fire by Night is the second in the Refiner’s Fire series by Lynn Austin. I read the first book, Candle in the Darkness, last February and enjoyed it immensely. I was a little hesitant to pick up Fire by Night right away, however, because I worried that it would just be the same story (since it included some of the same characters during the same time period — the Civil War era). In this I was pleased to find, however, that the themes dealt with in this book are quite a bit different than the
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Sep 04, 2007
plot summary: what happens, when & where, central characters, major conflicts[return]julia hoffman joins the crowd watching the battle of bull run at the start of the civil war, certain that the union army will easily chase the confederates back to where they belong. she is terrified when the battle turns the other way and horrified when artillery shells start falling around their carriage. the young minister she was hoping to impress, nathaniel, jumps out to help the wounded soldiers, but jul
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Oct 25, 2011
The Book Blogger
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This is a good Historical Fiction novel which graphically portrays the horrors of the American Civil War. The lives of two women are entwined through unforseen circumstances: rich, pampered Julia seeks to change the opinions of those around her and Phoebe poses as a soldier. Both face the battlefield and see the reality of war. A novel filled with drama, love and of course, war, Lynn Austin has penned an unforgettable story which will keep you thinking long afterwards.
Feb 05, 2010
JoAnn
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I am not a big fan of historically set books but this book was outstanding!! I would find myself waking up in the middle of the night wanting to return to the story! The story is extremely well written and pulled me in and made me feel that I was standing right along side each of the characters!! I highly recommend this book and will start reading all of Lynn Austin's books!! If they are anything like this book, they will be books that I will want to keep in my personal library!
Sep 05, 2009
Amy
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I enjoyed this second installment of the series almost as much as the first. I only found it slightly tedious in a few places where I actually had to put the book down and come back to it (imagine that!) Overall, I was really pleased at viewing the story from the angle of another character and ended up getting quite involved emotionally with the characters by the end. I was happy with the way it turned out!
Jan 29, 2012
Nina
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Im 1. Band der Südstaaten-Saga geht es um den Amerikanischen Bürgerkrieg aus Sicht der Südstaaten, in diesem 2. Band aus Sicht der Nordstaaten. Wenn man Grundkenntnisse über den Amerikanischen Bürgerkrieg hat, ist der 2. Band auch unabhängig vom ersten lesbar. Nur am Rande tauchen Personen wieder auf, die im 1. Band eine Rolle spielten.
Die aus völlig unterschiedlichen Verhältnissen stammenden Frauen Julia und Phoebe verhalten sich beide anders als es die gesellschaftlichen Normen ihnen vors More...
Die aus völlig unterschiedlichen Verhältnissen stammenden Frauen Julia und Phoebe verhalten sich beide anders als es die gesellschaftlichen Normen ihnen vors More...
Oct 06, 2010
Leah
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I loved this series! I have liked the Civil War since i was 9 or 10, and this series was better than i could ever have hoped. Lynn Austin is one amazing author. Every book i have read by her as made my laugh,cry,and yell. Her books are really interesting, and most of them are historical i believe, which i really like, because i'm learning about stuff in history.(and its interesting!)
Oct 30, 2010
Erin
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As I read the first part of this book, I was writing the review in my head, "A good story, but enjoyed the first installment more...a re-hashing of the same Civil War material, but from the North's perspective..." and then it caught me. Moving into the second part of the book, I read voraciously (isn't that an awesome word) and was so involved with the characters that I found myself in tears several times and completely invested in the story. It is NOT a re-hashing, it is the differe
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May 11, 2011
Alyson
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The setting, like the first book in this series, is set during the Civil War. The main character is a nurse so you find out just how bloody and gruesome the war was. There were two stories running parallel to each other that merged near the end. It was an enjoyable book, though I believe I enjoyed the first book more.
Aug 12, 2010
Tiffany
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I loved this book. I really got into the characters in this story and I could really relate well to the main female character. She reminded me of me when I was young and twenty (sigh). I am also a sucker for any story told during "war times" so that made this book that much better for me.
Nov 29, 2010
Kallie
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Really good book! It is clean, and it is a story that takes you in from the very beginning. you really feel for these girls and what they go through, as well as the men in their lives. It also makes you think about the decisions that we make, as well as the consequences of those actions.
Sep 09, 2010
Emily
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This whole series is sooooo good! I just can't say enough about them. I will probably end up buying these books, I like them so much. Lynn Austin brings religion into romance and ties in historical setting and facts. She writes so well. I think she is one of my favorite authors!
Sep 17, 2008
Amy
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I really enjoyed this book from Lynn Austin. Fire by Night is an historical fiction selection set in the American Civil War. One plot line follows the choices of Phoebe, a buck-toothed tomboy that joins the Union Army in disguise. The other plot line follows wealthy, pampered and snot-faced Julia and her decision to be a nurse for the Union army. The two women eventually end up meeting at the Battle of Gettysburg when Phoebe is wounded. Of course, they find out Phoebe's a girl and not a male U
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Jun 10, 2011
Diana
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I liked it so much more than I thought I would. I was thrilled that the women were as strong and unconventional as the were. I loved that the characters were imperfect, human, and that some of the "good" characters were really more pious than holy.
