REVIEW: The Golem and the Djinni (Helene Wecker)

Book: The Golem and the Djinni

Author: Helene Wecker

Premise: One cold night, two newcomers emerge onto the streets of 1899 New York. But these two are more than strangers to this land, they are strangers to this world. From the depths of folkloric history come Chava the golem, a creature made of clay, brought to life by a disgraced rabbi and Ahmad, a djinni, born in the ancient Syrian desert and trapped in an old copper flask released accidentally by a tinsmith in a Lower Manhattan shop.

This was a fun book. It's a blend of Yiddish and Middle Eastern cultures and it really works. At the start we follow the two main characters as they arrive and find their feet within their respective communities. We see them take different views on their freedom: Chava is scared of discovery, Ahmad excited for adventures.

I loved their friendship. They both still have their respective lives but they find they have the same experiences, reactions and struggles with the world around them. And the end of the book was perfect!

The only downside was how easily the baddy was defeated. The bad guy had been built up over the book as this evil, powerful guy but at the end, the final showdown felt rushed and over too quickly. But still an exciting read!