Shannon's Library

LET’S GET EXCITED ABOUT THIS BOOK!

You may think you know all about genies and golems from movies and T.V. shows. But you don’t! In 1899 New York City, a golem named, Chava and a jinni named, Ahmed meet. Both have been thrown into this life with humans completely involuntarily. As they learn how to navigate this new world, and each other, an unexpected friendship occurs. But will their relationship be strong enough to withstand an evil force arriving in New York to hunt them down? Continue reading below for my full review! I’d love to hear what you think about this novel and my new video series! Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments!

Shannon’s Rating — PG-13

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LET’S TALK ABOUT THIS BOOK!

A few weeks ago, I read my first book about a golem – a Jewish mythological creature sculped from clay and then brought to life. That book is called, “Sweep,” by Jonathan Auxier and you can find my review here…

Sweep; The Story of a Girl and Her Monster

(You can also find more information about the golem folklore in that review.)

Little did I know that just a month or so later, one of my best friends would recommend this book to me… “The Golem and the Jinni,” by Helene Wecker.  And so, my new-found fascination and obsession with golems continues! I find these mythological creatures so interesting. Maybe my new reading goal will be to find and read as many books about golems as possible!

“The Golem and the Jinni” blends together both Jewish and Arab folklore.  Not only do we get to read about golems, but we get to read about genies as well! And who doesn’t love a genie story? I Dream of Jeannie? Disney’s Aladdin? How fun are those?

But these modern-day T.V. shows and movies don’t tell the whole story of the origin of the genie. The Arabian mythology of genies or “jinn” dates back thousands of years and are even mentioned in the Quran.  The jinn aren’t considered to be good or bad; angels or demons.  They are instead, a completely separate entity.  They have free-will and are often mischievous and a nuisance to humans. They aren’t immortal but can live for thousands of years.  They are formed from fire, can travel by the wind and can assume the form of any creature – human or animal. They are also able to enter a human’s dream and sometimes even have the ability for mind control. The jinn are extremely difficult to catch and enslave. Only a very skilled wizard is able to do such a rare thing.

Now that we all know a little more about the history of the jinn – let’s get back to talking about this stunning and beautifully written book.

The story takes place in 1899. Chava is a golem, formed as a bride for a selfish man in Poland. While traveling by ship to New York City, her master dies. Chava arrives in this new city completely alone, confused, and strangely able to hear everyone’s thoughts and desires. Ahmad is a jinni – enslaved in an ancient flask a thousand years earlier by a Syrian wizard. He is accidentally freed from the flask by a tinsmith living in New York City.  Although released from inside his cage, Ahmed is still stuck in human form by the iron band around his wrist. Adding to his anger and confusion, Ahmed has no memory of how he was trapped or what has transpired during the years of his confinement.

One night, while wandering the city, these two inhuman creatures met each other. Chava was lost when, suddenly…

“…down one of the streets, a strange light appeared, seeming to float in midair. She paused.  Alarmed. The light was coming her way. It drew closer, and she saw that it was not a light, but a face; and the face belonged to a man. His face – and his hands as well, she saw now – shone with that warm light, like a lamp shaded with gauze.”

Ahmed gazed back at Chava…

“He glanced at her again, unsettled; and saw that she was not human, but a living piece of earth. He stopped cold. What was she?  ‘What are you?’ he asked. ‘You’re not human. You’re made of earth.’ At last she spoke. ‘And you’re made of fire,’ she said.”

The golem and the jinni, while wary of each other, slowly become friends. Their opposing natures make this a difficult task. The golem was created to be naïve, obedient and to fulfill other’s needs. The jinni is willful, rebellious and acts without thought to the consequences of his recklessness. When an enemy to them both arrives in New York City, Chava and Ahmed must band together to defeat this powerful force.

“The Golem and the Jinni” is a beautifully written novel. I found all of the supporting characters and their stories just as intriguing as Chava and Ahmed. I loved getting enveloped into the world of New York City in the late 1800’s. Learning about the lives and the cultures of both the Arab and the Jewish immigrants within the city was captivating. I felt like the relationship between this woman of clay and the man of fire was really just getting going by the end of the novel. I can’t wait to read the sequel and see what happens to all of these characters!

I know this is my first book post of the new year, but I just might have found my favorite read of 2022 already! I can’t imagine loving a book more than this one this coming year! But…time will tell!

This year I’m also starting a video series called, “Passion for Pages!” These episodes will contain myself and a fellow book lover discussing a book we are passionate about! Hopefully these discussions will inspire you to want to read and become passionate about these books as well! Episode 1 is all about “The Golem and the Jinni!” Enjoy!