Night Watchman

America, 1874. On the roads of a country recently engulfed by the Civil War, the fates of peaceful citizens and soldiers, wanderers and fugitives intersect. Twelve-year-old KonaLi is forced to embark on a journey with her mother, who has not spoken for over a year. Disguising themselves as a lady and a maid, they find refuge in a mental asylum. The tranquility of the inhabitants within these walls is guarded by a wounded, amnesiac soldier — the Night Watchman.
The novel by Jane Anne Phillips, a Pulitzer Prize winner, is not only a poignant historical drama but also a hymn to compassion and a deep reflection on the vulnerability and resilience of women in a world shattered by violence. Combining the poetic nature of language with the precision of documentary chronicle, the author explores the fragility of the human spirit and reveals the healing power of compassion.