Golem and the Jinni (Wecker) - Book Reviews

Book Reviews
Wecker's first novel is a magical tale of two mythical creatures—a golem from a Polish shtetl and a jinni from the Syrian Desert—struggling to fit in among New York's turn-of-the-19th-century immigrants.... Wecker deftly layers their story over those of the people they encounter, including a Jewish baker and his wife, a Maronite coffee shop owner and his wife, a doctor turned ice cream vendor, and an apostate social worker. The ending dips into melodrama, but the human touches more than compensate in Wecker's spellbinding blend of fantasy and historical fiction
Publishers Weekly


In 1899 two very different creatures find themselves in New York City. Chava is a golem, a woman made of clay and brought to life by a Polish magician to be the perfect wife. Ahmed is a jinni, a being made of fire, who has been released from a flask he's been bound in for centuries. [The two] must learn how to survive undetected while preparing to battle a dangerous adversary.... Verdict: Full of quirky characters and philosophical and religious musings... [A] fascinating blend of historical fiction and Jewish and Arab folklore. —Katie Lawrence, Chicago
Library Journal


The premise is so fresh...A mystical and highly original stroll through the sidewalks of New York.
Booklist


Wecker begins with a juicy premise…and great adventures ensue…She writes skillfully, nicely evoking the layers of alienness that fall upon strangers in a strange land.
Kirkus Reviews