The Golem and the Jinni: A NovelHelene Wecker
Harper, April 2013
ISBN: 978-0062110831
In The Golem and the Jinni, a chance meeting between mythical beings takes readers on a dazzling journey through cultures in turn-of-the-century New York.
The Golem and the Jinni is a unique mixture of Hebrew and Arab mythology. A golem, a clay woman created to serve as a rich man's companion, loses its master to a burst appendix on board a steamship headed to America. A jinni, released by an unsuspecting tinsmith from its prison after hundreds of years in captivity, tries to recall its hazy past. For both, finding their way and places in 1899 New York City is both a challenge and a curse. Disoriented and alone they set out to understand the world around them.
Chava, the golem, begins her independent life as a baker and the Jinni as an apprentice tinsmith. Completely unknown to each other, the two creatures of ancient lore explore the unfamiliar and very human city. The golem, taken in by a kind, old rabbi, is tormented by the desires and wishes of others, which she can hear in her mind. Ahmad, named by the tinsmith who released him from his captivity, has no patience for the dreariness of humans. Both must work to create a place for themselves in America, and develop relationships with the humans who surround them. When Ahmad meets Chava, the two lost creatures become unlikely friends with a mystical connection.
The Golem and Jinni are both interesting characters. Watching them struggle to hide their natures from the general populace was interesting. It was also interesting how polar opposite they were. The Golem was made to be the perfect wife; as such she is intelligent, conservative, and incredibly thoughtful of those around her. She can hear people's thoughts and is constantly trying to make them happy. The Jinni on the other hand is volatile, arrogant, and constantly leaving a line of conquests in his wake. Their stories offset each other nicely.
The Golem and the Jinni is part historical fiction, part fantasy told as a fairy tale in turn of the century New York City. Solidly researched and impeccably characterized, the story carefully and precisely wends its way through the immigrant neighborhoods as it carefully lays groundwork to bring all of the pieces together at the end.
HELENE WECKER grew up in Libertyville, Illinois, a small town north of Chicago, and received her Bachelor's in English from Carleton College in Minnesota. After graduating, she worked a number of marketing and communications jobs in Minneapolis and Seattle before deciding she wanted to write something longer than a press release. Accordingly, she moved to New York to pursue a Master's in fiction writing at Columbia University. She now lives near San Francisco with her husband and daughter. The Golem and the Jinni is her first novel.
ISBN: 978-0062110831; ISBN10: 0062110837; Imprint: Harper; On Sale: 4/23/2013; Format: Hardcover; Pages: 496; $26.99
