The Fire by Night

Messineo’s historical novel, his debut, dovetails the hardships of friends Jo McMahon and Kay Elliot, who serve as military nurses on separate ends of the Earth during World War II. After surviving a hard childhood and enduring the reign of a rapist doctor alongside Kay in their New York hospital, Jo fights off despair by committing herself to saving the six soldiers stranded with her in a makeshift hospital tent in France. With the rest of her medical team dead, Jo single-handedly navigates illness, lack of supplies, and the threat of both Axis and Allied soldiers. Meanwhile in the Pacific, Kay is captured and held as prisoner, during which time she witnesses many atrocities. Messineo’s writing style, in which scenes often play out without extensive explanation but are later elucidated, adds to the feel of wartime chaos and works well with the story’s disjointed time jumps. Glimpses into Kay’s brief happiness become a welcome necessity as tragedy piles on tragedy, though Jo’s love story feels tacked on and unconvincing. The object of Jo’s affections, a soldier, spends the majority of their time together delirious with typhus and fever. The novel’s strength lies in how well it conveys—mostly without sentimentality—the selflessness and bravery of nurses during the darkest hours. The narrative remains engaging throughout, though the plot ultimately feels like it stops mid-sentence. (Jan.)