The Golem and the Jinni (The Golem and the Jinni, #1) in Around the Year in 52 Books

Jul 29, 2015 Nancy rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, magical-realism

Although this book was long, it was so well written and so subtly constructed that I found I simply couldn't put it down. I was drawn in to the story immediately. At first I wondered where some of the apparently unconnected threads fit in, but as the story developed it became clear and everything came together in the end. What I loved about it was that it wasn't just a fantasy story, it was a musing on faith, on consequences and on life. I loved how the two vastly different characters of the Gol ...more

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Oct 12, 2016 MichelleCH rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy, favorites, contemporary-fic, kindle, new-york-new-york

Really enjoyed it and felt like I learned even more about the immigrant experience and of other cultures. I've heard the term 'Golem' but never had known exactly what it was or the folklore behind it. Wecker does an excellent job navigating the reader through the story of Chava (the golem) and The Jinni who is from the Syrian desert. Both arrive separately in New York alone and naive to how the world and humans work. By coincidence they meet one night and realize that they much in common; both s ...more

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Mar 15, 2019 Cora rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: audible, fantasy, kindle, djinn, historical-fantasy, new-york-city, 19th-century, award-winner, debut, new-york-state

This was a wonderfully atmospheric book that really brought turn of the century New York City alive. I loved how it focused on the immigrant communities, especially some of the communities that I don't see represented as often in historical fiction. I liked how the author chose to focus on mythical beings that you do not see often in fantasy novels, but that are a prominent part of the cultures of the groups represented. I also really liked how "real" she made them. Despite the fact that they we ...more

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