The Golem and the Djinni - Hardcover

Wecker, Helene

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0007480172 ISBN 13: 9780007480173

Publisher: Blue Door, 2013

Synopsis

THESE NEWCOMERS ARE DIFFERENT. THEY WILL CHANGE EVERYTHING.

For fans of The Essex Serpent and The Mermaid and Mrs Hancock.

‘By far my favourite book of of the year’ Guardian

‘One of only two novels I've ever loved whose main characters are not human’ Barbara Kingsolver

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.

About this title

Review:

‘By far my favourite book of of the year ... There isn't a wasted word, poorly considered paragraph or a single chapter in this high-concept fairytale that doesn't deliver some new enchantment’ Damien Walter, Guardian

‘The Golem and The Djinni has the detailed realism of historical fiction, the haunting feel of a folk tale, and is one of only two novels I've ever loved whose main characters are not human’ Barbara Kingsolver

‘The author makes you care enough about the humanity of these magical spirits to not only see them through to the end but also to regret that you’ve reached the last page’ New York Times

‘A continuous delight ― provocative, atmospheric, and superbly paced’ Boston Globe

‘The Golem and The Djinni are among my favourite fictional people’ Washington Post

From the Back Cover:

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.

About this edition

• Publisher: Blue Door
• Publication date: 2013
• ISBN 10: 0007480172
• ISBN 13: 9780007480173
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 496