The Golem and the Jinni

by

Published Oct. 29, 2013 by Harper.

ISBN:
978-0-06-211083-1
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4 stars (6 reviews)

Chava is a golem, a creature made of clay, brought to life by a disgraced rabbi who dabbles in dark Kabbalistic magic, created to be the wife of a man who dies at sea on the voyage from Poland. Chava is unmoored and adrift as the ship arrives in New York harbor in 1899.

Ahmad is a jinni, a being of fire born in the ancient Syrian desert, trapped in an old copper flask, and released in New York City, though still not entirely free.

Ahmad and Chava become unlikely friends and soul mates with a mystical connection. Marvelous and compulsively readable, Helene Wecker's debut novel The Golem and the Jinni weaves strands of Yiddish and Middle Eastern literature, historical fiction and magical fable, into a wondrously inventive and unforgettable tale.

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reviewed The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker

Review of 'The Golem and the Jinni (The Golem and the Jinni, #1)' on 'Goodreads'

5 stars

I picked this up thinking it was going to be a bit of unchallenging urban fantasy, but I turned out to be utterly mistaken in the best possible way. This is a surprisingly profound exploration of questions of free will, identity and our obligations to others and ourselves, wrapped around a nice meaty mystery and fleshed out with compelling characters. It was also a fascinating exploration of cultures I know next to nothing about. Highly recommended.

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