Helene Wecker

Chava, a golem brought to life by a disgraced rabbi, and Ahmad, a jinni made of fire, form an unlikely friendship on the streets of New York until a fateful choice changes everything.

The Golem and the Jinni

In the pram, Toby was drifting off to sleep, his hands curled like shells atop the blanket.

—the cook had given him a plate of cold meats and a brandied fruit compote, though it was clear she’d rather be shot—

And what are you but myself, dressed in strange clothing and speaking another tongue?

I am the sum total of a thousand years of misery and striving! You may have given us this broken immortality, but I will be the first to die without fear!

Ibn Malik snarled in anger; but Schaalman was faster. A hand lashed out and caught ibn Malik around the throat.

He saw a frost-covered garden, a gigantic mansion of stone set with innumerable gables—and, resting above them, four chimneys that puffed gray-white smoke into the winter sky.

Children stared from upper windows, and would later tell their friends they’d seen a lady outrun the Elevated.

The Rabbi had said it himself, the day they met: 

Whoever made you was brilliant, and reckless, and quite amoral

The gateway to the palace was shielded by a door of thick glass that hung on silver hinges. To open or close it, the Jinni had to be in human form; it had been a conceit of his to pretend he was a human ruler of old, coming home to his seat of power.

Before him were his uncle’s notes, a not-too-clean tumbler, and a bottle of something that called itself whiskey. It had a slippery taste, like rotting apples. The bottle was now a third gone.

Schaalman hadn’t put much trust in his theory; still, he felt obscurely disappointed in his creation. What did she do with herself all night? Listen to her husband snore while washing his socks by candlelight? He felt like scolding her. The most remarkable golem in existence, and she was content to play house!

He went back later that night, tailing Levy after lights-out. The man made no detours on his way home, but that was unsurprising. So far he had proved as interesting as a brick.

He told himself she was a girl of means, and that her problem, whatever it was, was not his to solve. But he could not let go of the feeling that, in that moment, she had been calling him to account for something.

The more he rode the trolleys and trains of New York, the more they seemed to form a giant, malevolent bellows, inhaling defenseless passengers from platforms and street corners and blowing them out again elsewhere.

Their horses strained white-eyed at their bits, kicking up dust from the macadam. At dawn he found himself at the amusement park at Fort George, its shuttered fairway eerie and silent. The wooden rides seemed skeletal, like the remains of huge abandoned beasts.

He smelled warm, like a stone baking in the sun.

On a cloudless night, ink dark, with only a rind of a moon above...

Relations between the two communities were cool at best, but egalitarian Maloof held himself above both.

For a moment the two couples were gazing at each other as though in a mirror; and then the Jinni saw the beginning of something startled, even frightened, in the woman’s eyes. The same budding uncertainty rose in the man’s face—his hand tightened on the reins—and then they flew by, the horses drawing them away from their own eldritch reflection, the too-handsome man and the strangely glittering woman.

He replaced her hand on his arm, as if to show that nothing had changed; and they walked the last block to her home as the most perfectly matched couple on the street, as with each step they both desperately wished to be elsewhere.

For a moment, her mother’s face had turned sepulchral, the eyes like dark hollows.

He passed tattoo parlors, mortuaries, shuttered theaters, filthy cafés. A gaming house threw harsh and tinny music onto the street. Rats scurried at the edges of the gutters and darted off below the Elevated, into the murk.

Someone had thought to accuse the strange Jew of witchcraft—rightly, as it happened, though in their zeal they’d also chased out a harmless old midwife and the village idiot.

Immediately she knew the order as if the woman had said it out loud: 

“What would you like?” she asked the woman, feeling faintly ridiculous, since the answer was so plain.

The Golem hesitated, waiting for the second half of the order. But the woman said nothing. “And perhaps some strudel?” she asked finally.

The woman laughed. “You caught me looking, did you? No, I have to watch my figure. I’m not the slip of a thing I used to be.”

A few of the other customers were smiling now. Embarrassed, the Golem fetched the rye.

General opinion held that Radzin’s bread was good enough for the price, but that their pastries were the best in the neighborhood.

i think i'm still deciding how i felt about how everything came together + the ending. rating subject to change based on how i feel tomorrow

Monicap

Amazing book. Rich fantasy world with a vivid historical setting.

This book has everything. Two magical creatures that can turn violent, but contain themselves. A very well rounded world set in mostly in 1900, Lower East Side in NYC. Flashbacks are set in Syria around 900.

The book has two main narrators but we also get to peek into secondary characters’ minds. They all feel very real and well rounded. I would absolutely hang out at Maryam’s and get a coffee and go to the bakery where Chava works.

As far as I can tell most of the historical fiction is pretty solid.

The book has a nice ebb and flow of world building, dilemmas, tension and resolve. I both really loved the Golem and the Jinni.

I think this is a book I will come back to.

Suzanne

This book has everything. Two magical creatures that can turn violent, but contain themselves. A very well rounded world set in mostly in 1900, Lower East Side in NYC. Flashbacks are set in Syria around 900.

The book has two main narrators but we also get to peek into secondary characters’ minds. They all feel very real and well rounded. I would absolutely hang out at Maryam’s and get a coffee and go to the bakery where Chava works.

As far as I can tell most of the historical fiction is pretty solid.

The book has a nice ebb and flow of world building, dilemmas, tension and resolve. I both really loved the Golem and the Jinni.

I think this is a book I will come back to.

Chava is a golem, a creature made of clay, brought to life by a disgraced rabbi who dabbles in dark Kabbalistic magic. When her master, the husband who commissioned her, dies at sea on the voyage from Poland, she is unmoored and adrift as the ship arrives in New York in 1899. Ahmad is a djinni, a being of fire, born in the ancient Syrian desert. Trapped in an old copper flask by a Bedouin wizard centuries ago, he is released accidentally by a tinsmith in a Lower Manhattan shop. Though he is no longer imprisoned, Ahmad is not entirely free - an unbreakable band of iron binds him to the physical world. The Golem & The Djinni is their magical, unforgettable story; unlikely friends whose tenuous attachment challenges their opposing natures - until the night a terrifying incident drives them back into their separate worlds. But a powerful threat will soon bring Chava and Ahmad together again, challenging their existence and forcing them to make a fateful choice.

The Golem and the Djinni

Sandrin

MY TYPE OF SHIT

The Golem is a no nonsense kind of gal and the Jinni has just the right amount of fuckboi in him. Loved them so fuckin much. Would have preferred more flirting, though(hopefully, in the next book), and maybe for them to have met a little bit earlier, but thats just me.

Also, the descriptions were quite vivid, and so beautifully done that you could easily immerse yourself in the diverse cultures, religions and magic. Reading this, you cant help but feel that the city is alive, filled with the colors, sounds and smells of the late 19th century. Truly, a very fun read.

hileahrious

Beautifully written. Beautiful character development. Beautiful descriptive writing; easily brought to life in the imagination (I could see it being a film). Beautiful ending.

I don't think I've ever read a book so fast of this size, not only because the story draws you in, but because it flowed so well, in terms of both literary style and plot. Love the historical aspect as well, and I never expected the book to delve into the philosophy of life and humanity's connection to religion (without boring the reader with heavy ideologies of course). Much and more than I could have ever imagined.

Kayleigh Septer

Tells the story of two supernatural creatures who appear mysteriously in 1899 New York. Chava is a golem, a creature made of clay, brought to life by a strange man who dabbles in dark Kabbalistic magic. When her master dies at sea on the voyage from Poland, she is unmoored and adrift as the ship arrives in New York Harbor. Ahmad is a jinni, a being of fire, born in the ancient Syrian Desert. Trapped in an old copper flask by a Bedouin wizard centuries ago, he is released accidentally by a tinsmith in a Lower Manhattan shop. Struggling to make their way in this strange new place, the Golem and the Jinni try to fit in with their neighbors while masking their true natures

Nora 

A wonderful love story exploring two mythic creatures from these areas, a Jewish Golem from Eastern Europe and a Syrian Djinni - bought who find themselves lost is 1899 New York. Though the historical aspect of where they are isn't fully explored, the examination of different myths provides and interesting characterisation of our protagonists. For those who enjoy magical realism similar to the style of The Night Circus, this is a fun read for you! A great first book from this new author!

Nikki Milton

Pleasantly surprised. Picked up the book based on the beautiful cover and design, interesting blurb and eye-catching title. Was not expecting much. Loved every minute of it. Alternate history of early immigrant-era New York City with supernatural beings and great characters.

The golem and the jinni

Colleen

3 Stars

I was intrigued when I first read the description of The Golem and the Jinni. The two things I complain most about the Science Fiction and Fantasy genres are how similar many of those stories are and how cheesy the writing often is. Well, The Golem and the Jinni is neither a copycat nor cheesy. It is actually a unique premise - the two main characters (if you did not guess from the title) are a Golem and a Jinni. I was interested in how these two concepts from very different mythology would meld together in one story. Initially, I dove into the story and was captivated. Unfortunately, that captivation wore off by about the second chapter. 

The problem was that the narrative was too bogged down by details which caused the pace to grind practically to a halt. The story veers off onto monotonous tangents and goes into minute detail of the background of almost every character mentioned - and there are a LOT of characters. So after the initial interesting start the story slowed to a glacial crawl. The book had that underlying sense that all of these people (and their microscopically described lives) were going to tie together in the end, and to be fair most of it did. But there was still a massive amount of unnecessary information that made the story hard to get through. I actually put this book down for months. When my copy from the library was due (after having renewed it twice already and still only having reached about page 100), I decided it was time for a break from it. I had other books I was more interested in reading. Honestly, I only came back to it because I am a little obsessive about finishing books that I start. In the end, I was glad that I revisited the book and finished it. But anyone considering this book should be forewarned to be patient because you have to trudge through massive amounts of minutiae before the pace picks up. 

It was interesting to combine fantasy with historical fiction. Usually fantasy stories are only set in medieval times. Instead, The Golem and the Jinni is mainly set in New York City in 1899. It was an appealing setting and well researched, but the groups of immigrants were portrayed too similarly. This may have been intentional to show that people are not so different after all, but it gave the characters and their neighborhoods a sameness. Chava's Jewish community and Ahmad's Syrian community were hard to tell apart at times other than which of the main characters is inhabiting them and maybe a few Yiddish words in the dialogue in the Jewish community.

The flashbacks to Ahmad's life before being cursed were chaotic and randomly lumped into the rest of the story. While I was curious about his past, the haphazard way that these flashbacks were dropped into the story often disrupted the flow of the narrative and were at times confusing particularly when it got to the big reveal. After such a slow build, the ending felt rushed, and there were a couple of things that I was unclear on.

Despite the book's description of "soul mates," I would not really call this a love story. Maybe there is love in it, but it was not overall the focus of the book. It is much more about identity and self discovery. Chava and Ahmad do not even meet until a good ways into the story. They represent two opposite extremes - one ultimate obedience and one ultimate freedom. They both struggle to balance their past with the new lives which they were both thrust into unknowingly. They both wrestle with with merging their ingrained natures with the expectations of those around them. So yes, it is certainly more than a cheesy love story. This book delves into what it is to be free and how there are many types of imprisonment whether it is through a curse, a commandment to blindly obey, or societal expectations and familial obligations.

I liked the ending, but it took so long to get there. So while I did appreciate the last third of the book much more than what preceded it, I cannot disregard that a large portion of the book did not hold my interest and that I had to force myself to carry on with it. The overall result was good, but it needed more work. I liked the author's writing style and symbolism but wished she would have more succinct rather than spending so much time describing uninteresting things. It was good for a debut though. I may be interested to read more of the author's work in the future, but I strongly hope she learns when to edit things out and be more concise! 

RATING FACTORS:
Ease of Reading: 3 Stars
Writing Style: 3 Stars
Characters: 4 Stars
Plot Structure and Development: 3 Stars
Level of Captivation: 2 Stars
Originality: 4 Stars

Boothby

In awe of the craftsmanship in this novel. That's what it is. A solid, beautifully plotted unit that you couldn't tip over sideways if you tried. Just try not to be charmed. I dare you.

Every character vividly depicted with a distinct and carefully thought through inner life. Fascinating to see how both Chava and Ahmad each see the world and how the world sees them in turn. Depicts Chava and Ahmad's ways of seeing the world as a golem and a djinni in a clear, straightforward way, with clear justification for the ways they think.

One third cozy slice of life, Infused with the energy of turn of the century New York, with its creaking subways, tenement houses and flashes of green in the park. 

I'm more than willing to go on the interludes with other stories, and these flashbacks turn out of have incredible payoffs. Satisfying ties up all the loose ends in emotionally resonant ways

Sabanar

I like this book a lot.
It’s definitely a 5 am read (although I couldn’t stay up too late cause of work and my own tiredness).
I loved how it followed multiple characters and how all the characters stories tied in together in the end.
I also enjoyed the arab and Jewish mythology it explored.
 
Lovely. Will read again in the future.
:)

Chava is a golem, a creature made of clay, brought to life by a strange man who dabbles in dark Kabbalistic magic. Ahmad is a jinni, a being of fire, born in the ancient Syrian Desert. Trapped in an old copper flask by a Bedouin wizard centuries ago, he is released accidentally by a tinsmith in a Lower Manhattan shop. Struggling to make their way in 1899 New York, the Golem and the Jinni try to fit in with their immigrant neighbors while masking their true selves. Meeting by chance, they become unlikely friends whose tenuous attachment challenges their opposing natures, until the night a terrifying incident drives them back into their separate worlds. But a powerful menace will soon bring the Golem and the Jinni together again, threatening their existence and forcing them to make a fateful choice. Marvelous and compulsively readable, The Golem and the Jinni weaves strands of folk mythology, historical fiction, and magical fable into a wondrously inventive and unforgettable tale.

A Novel

Gillian Rose

Technically 4 1/2 stars. I loved Chava and Ahmad's friendship. It was beautifully written. There were other stories being told that didn't make sense though until like the very end and that was a little distracting but it tied together extremely well. Definitely can't wait to read more from her.

Savindi Jinasena

Really enjoyed this one! I've never read a book which combines Jewish and Arabian Folklore until now. Wecker has created two memorable and endearing protagonists who have the ability to charm the reader with their honesty as they observe humanity as outsiders. I loved the setting of New York and how it came to life. I hadn't even heard of Little Syria until I read this book and it was wonderful to read about it. I honestly don't know if a sequel to this book is necessary, but I'm sure I'll still pick it up. 

Thanks Steph for recommending it to me!

Rachel Kanyid

4.25/5 stars
I really enjoyed this book. 
It was a storyline that I've never seen before, and I thought the characters were very fleshed out.

I enjoyed the flashbacks that were scattered through out for some of the characters, and I loved the relationships portrayed around Ahmad and Michael, Chava and the rabbi, etc. 

This book was beautifully written, and I think pretty much anyone who enjoys fantasy would like this book to some extent or another.

Christine Bruce

In turn of the century New York, two supernatural beings, old magic, try to find lives for themselves amid the bustling Industrial Age. As they try to blend in among the humans, they feel frustration, confusion, and trust. But there’s a true monster on their heels. Greedy for more power no matter the cost. 

This was such a fun and poignant book. It read like a fairy tale and While a little slow at times, was more than enough to pull me along. Most of the scenes with the villain in particular were just not my cup of tea in comparison to Ahmed discovering a love of metal working and guiding the young boy or Chava bonding with her coworkers at the bakery and discovering a niche way to make her community brighter. 

The relationships they had with the humans around them, the ways magic touched other parts of their world in ways they couldn’t have imagined. It was just such a fun and intriguing book. I also loved all the bits of cultural information that I never knew about, but are inherently part of New York culture and American culture. While reading this book I probably spent an equal amount of time in a wiki black hole looking up terms and references. 

💭 
7/10
Magical realism 
Finding humanity
Turn of the century New York

This was a “read 12 recommendations by 12 friends” book. Thanks, Alex!

Merve A. 

this was... disappointing. there was a lot going on all at once, and i think the focus on several of the side characters was redundant and made it hard to connect with chava and ahmad and care more about their stories. and there was too much telling, but not enough showing which made me force myself to finish the book just to be done with it. great premise, nice writing, but the execution fell short imo.

Celeste Richardson

Full review now posted!

Actual rating: 4.5 stars

Wecker crafted one of the most beautiful books I’ve read in a long time in The Golem and the Jinni, and I’m so glad that I finally took time to read it.

I’ve had this book sitting on my shelf for four years. You read that right. Four. YEARS. I’m ashamed, I tell you. I bought it because it was cheap and the cover was pretty and I promptly returned to my regular reading. The premise sounded interesting, it really did, but it was just strange enough for me to keep putting it off and eventually forgetting about it all together. Thankfully, my lovely friend Mary mentioned it and told me she thought I would love it, so I dusted it off and gave it a try.

I was immediately engrossed. The Golem and the Jinni both find themselves in New York City at the turn of the 20th century. We get to see a good deal of the city as it would have been in the late 1890s through the eyes of two radically different entities. The Golem finds herself alone in New York, a helpmate created for a man who was gone before she had even lived a day. She was crafted for a much different person than most golems, and must learn to navigate her fledgling life without the guidance of a master. The Golem is sweet, honest, caring, hardworking, and innocent. Seeing the world through her eyes was a delight.

The Jinni awakens trapped in human form with no memory for the past thousand years. He’s brash and selfish, but he’s beautiful and talented and can create astounding artwork from metals. He burns brightly, drawing others to him like moths to flame, but his brightness also repels. There is this vibrant overabundance of life within him that discomforts others. 

The Golem and the Jinni frequent radically different parts of the city. The Golem stays near the Jewish neighborhood, drawn to the familiarity of the religion that crafted her. The Jinni awakened in Little Syria, and there he mostly stays. Both of these neighborhoods were lovely to experience through the eyes of our main characters. Each area was rich in heritage and life, and seeing how radically the neighborhoods within New York City differed during this time period was fascinating. I also love how beliefs and heritage infused every aspect of life for people in these neighborhoods.

So, if the Golem and the Jinni live in very different microcosms in New York, how do they meet? Well, you see, besides being mythological creatures, the two share in common something that is both a gift and a curse: they don't need sleep. While that's a great way to not have to waste around a third of your day, it's also lonely and boring. The two meet one night while prowling the streets of their slumbering city, and an unlikely friendship is formed.

The mythos behind each of our main characters was probably my favorite part of the book. I’m a sucker for mythology, but both Kabbalistic and Arabian mythology are lesser known for me. I very much enjoyed learning more about them. I was especially fascinated by Kabbalah, as its roots are also the roots of my own faith.

Wecker’s prose was absolutely lovely. There was a beautiful, easy flow to her words that I appreciated immensely. Nothing ever felt forced, in my opinion. This is one of those books that makes you think more deeply and feel more intelligent just by cracking it open, but in a way that never feels condescending, if that makes sense. I love literary fiction, but it does on occasion feel as if it’s talking down to you. Not so with this book! It definitely felt like literary fiction, but effortlessly so. And I’m not sure if I would call this historical fantasy or magical realism, because it bridges the two very well. I think it’s a book that is book genre defying and genre defining, in a sense. Also, there was something about the writing and the story that just felt so romantic. Not because of a romantic element, but because of how the time period, subject matter and writing mingled together to form this lovely picture in the minds of readers. My only complaint about this book is that the ending felt just a bit rushed compared to the pacing of the rest of the book. However, I thought Wecker ended things very well, and I felt satisfied by the ending. 

If you’re a fan of historical fantasy, literary fiction, magical realism, or just really good stories written really well, I heartily recommend this book. It would also be a fabulous book club option, as there is a plethora of topics to discuss.

Original review can be found at Booknest.

Cams Campbell

I simply cannot believe that this is Helene Wecker's first published novel. I haven't enjoyed a book this much in quite some time. Superbly written.

A marvelous and absorbing debut novel, a combination of vivid historical fiction and magical fable, about two supernatural creatures in turn-of-the-century immigrant New York. An immigrant tale that combines elements of Jewish and Arab folk mythology, Helene Wecker's sparkling debut novel tells the story of two supernatural creatures who arrive separately in New York in 1899. Chala, is a golem, a creature made of clay, brought to life to by a conjurer who dabbles in dark Kabbalistic magic. When her master--the husband who commissioned her--dies at sea on the voyage from Poland, she is unmoored and adrift as the ship arrives in New York harbor. Ahmad is a jinni, a being of fire, born of the ancient deserts of Syria. Trapped in an old copper flask by a Bedouin wizard centuries ago, he is released accidentally by a tinsmith in a Manhattan shop. Though he is no longer imprisoned, Ahmad is not entirely free. An iron band around his wrist binds him to the physical world. Overwhelmed by the incessant longing and fears of the humans around her, the cautious and tentative Chava fears losing control. Baptized by the tinsmith who makes him his apprentice, the capricious and carefree Ahmad chafes at monotony and human dullness. Like their immigrant neighbors, golem and jinni struggle to make their way in this strange new place, masking the supernatural origins that could destroy them. Surrounding them is a colorful cast of supporting characters: the café owner Maryam Faddoul, a pillar of wisdom and support for her Syrian neighbors; the solitary Ice Cream Saleh, a damaged man cursed by tragedy; the kind and caring Rabbi Meyer and his beleaguered nephew Michael, whose Sheltering House receives newly arrived Jewish immigrants; the adventurous young socialite Sophia Winston; and the mysterious Joseph Schall, a dangerous man driven by ferocious ambition and esoteric wisdom. When Chala and Ahmad accidentally meet, they form a tenuous bond that challenges their opposing natures--a friendship that is shattered when the golem's violent nature overtakes her. But a powerful threat will emerge to bring Chala and Ahmad together again, challenging their existence and forcing them to make a fateful choice. Marvelous and compulsively readable, The Golem and the Jinni weaves strands of Yiddish and Middle Eastern literature, historical fiction and magical fable in a wondrously inventive tale that is mesmerizing and unforgettable.

Emma Motze

This book is not a typical book I would normally find myself reading. I do not believe I have ever read a book that was in this genre before, but I am so glad I found this book. It was so beautifully written and just all-around so thoroughly thought out that I fell in love with it and the setting it created. The characters were lovely and created such depth to this novel and I just want to read it again and again and I wish I never finished it.

Laura Mei

One of the most well-written, engaging novels I have read in a long time.

3.5 stars

Beautiful concept and original ideas with nods to Bedouin/Jewish/Arab tradition...but it dragged a bit and took a long time to get where it needed to go. Longer than necessary, I think.

Sarah Vaughan

I have a love/hate relationship with this book. If it could be divided into two parts, I would give the first part two stars and the second part five stars. The real action doesn't really begin until around page 180, so basically you have read an entire novel in and of itself before the story begins. There are two main characters here, obviously a golem and a jinni, but there are a dozen or so characters interwoven and connected to them whose backstory we learn about before the golem and the jinni even cross paths. This section of the book for me dragged on and on. I even considered abandoning it at one point, but once the characters collide and things start falling into place and 180 pages worth of conflict begins to settle itself, I really enjoyed it. I was hooked from page 300 on. So, as much as I loved the last part of the story, I just didn't feel it would be fair to other books I've given rated as five-star reads if I did the same for The Golem and the Jinni. I will most likely read the author's other works and still recommend this to a few people I know who I think would love it.

Kelsi Proulx

This book was very different from any book I have read before. I really enjoyed the creativity of it. It tells the story of two creatures (a golem and a jinni) who by nature are completely opposite from one another. Despite their differences they are drawn to each other by a need for understanding and companionship. I really enjoyed reading their story. It was an interesting look at how humanity looks from the outside. It makes me wonder why we do things the way we do. Some of our customs are so silly when properly examined. My favorite part of this book was learning about the jinni's past leading up to his capture and the capture itself. I highly recommend this read!

Arden Kowalski

This is a wonderful book! An intricate blend of Arabian and Jewish folklore takes center stage in 1890s New York, supplemented by the incredible writing talent of Helene Wecker and the well-developed leads. The setting here feels very essential to the story, the characters are well-rounded and grow throughout the novel, and the prose is decadent. I flew through this rather quickly and wholly enjoyed the story. I do feel it's a bit longer than it needs to be, and the second act especially is a bit stretched, but this didn't really interfere with my enjoyment of the novel. I haven't read fantasy for quite a few weeks now, and this magical realism was a well timed reminder of why I love the genre so much.

The Golem and the Jinni

Reviews

Highlights