The Golem and the Jinni

The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker

This book was thought-provoking to say the least. As it combines the stuff of folktales from two different cultures into a turn-of-the-century New York City setting, I've had a hard time classifying this book into one genre or another. At times folktale or myth, at times historical fiction and sometimes a philosophical exploration about what it means to be alive.

Chava is a Golem - a creature made mostly from clay, and brought to life with an incantation. Commissioned by a selfish man, and created by a faithless one, her origins are unfortunate. When she finds herself newly awakened, masterless and alone in New York, she struggles to discover a way to balance her nature to both serve & destroy, and finds her way to a job at a bakery.

Ahmad is a Jinni - a fire being born in the Syrian desert & trapped for centuries by an evil wizard. When he is set free from his prison, he too finds himself in New York without a clear place or role in this world, but he has a skill in working metal.

The story alternates between the two until one day they meet walking in the street, and their shared experience of being the only one of their kind in city of thousands instantly creates a bond of necessity. A need to be seen & understood. A need to not be so alone. The pacing meanders, taking flashbacks & sidetracks frequently, letting the story unfold ever so gradually.

This book made me think a lot about the nature of being, and the condition of otherness. Of how it feels to be isolated in our experiences, but also how interconnected we all are despite that isolation. And how our stories can change direction when they collide. A beautifully written book, I recommend this for those interested in folklore & myths, and those who don't mind a story taking it's time to unfold.


Favorite Quotes

“On a cloudless night, inky dark, with only a rind of a moon above, the Golem and the Jinni went walking together along the Prince Street rooftops.” 

“He'd lived so long in anticipation of his own death that to contemplate his future was like standing at the edge of a cliff, staring into a vertiginous rush of open sky.”  

“All of us are lonely at some point or another, no matter how many people surround us. And then, we meet someone who seems to understand. She smiles, and for a moment the loneliness disappears.”