Jayne Anne Phillips's novel "Night Watch" takes place during the final months and the aftermath of the American Civil War.

A decade after the end of the war, Eliza, who has not spoken aloud in nearly a year, arrives with her twelve-year-old daughter ConaLee at the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum in West Virginia, dropped off by a man who calls himself "Papa." Papa is not related to either woman. ConaLee's father left to fight in the war before her birth. After losing an eye and his memory, he never returned to his family. At the asylum, they meet a kindly doctor, a harsh nurse, a confused patient, and many other characters.

Through a series of flashbacks, Phillips slowly reveals each character's past. Some of their history is intertwined, although the author does not reveal this until late in the novel.

"Night Watch" does an excellent job of exposing the atrocities and trauma that war inflicts on its participants and bystanders. It also takes a hard look at mental health, exploring the effects of PTSD.

The frequent shifts in perspectives, the nonlinear narrative, and the lack of quotation marks often make the story difficult to follow. But it rewards those who pay attention with a well-written story.