The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Weckers (Harper, 2013)
It’s not your typical immigrant tale. In Helene Wecker’s dazzling debut novel, two outsiders appear in New York City in 1899 – a creature made of clay brought to life by a disgraced rabbi, and a being of fire born in the ancient Syrian desert. The Golem and the Jinni weaves fairy tale and folklore with historical fiction to create a wondrously inventive and unforgettable story.
In the New York Times Sunday Book Review, Susann Cokal writes, “History, magic and religion braid together in old New York’s tenements while the lives of the widowed golem and the freed jinni unfold. Both are sleepless; both quickly find lodging and employment and receive names from the humans who accept their true natures — the golem is known as Chava, or ‘life’; the jinni is Ahmad. These relatively small moments open up into a languorous meditation-by-example on the nature of humanity, desire, conscience and free will.”
Don’t miss this enchanting novel! For more information on Helene Wecker’s work, visit her website.
