Adina (way behind on reviews, some notifications) 's Reviews > The Golem and the Jinni

Sorry it took me so long to write a review for this one but the past weeks have been hectic and not so fun. I still have little time but if I don’t write a few words now, I’ll never do it.

I added The Golem and The Jinni to my TBR in March 2014, yes, more than 6 years ago. This year I am planning to tackle all books added in February and March 2014 and this is one of them. Until now, I’ve been very pleasantly surprised by the books that I’ve read from that selection and this one is no exception.

The Plot
Chava is a Golem created by a practitioner of dark magic to serve as a wife for a rich merchant. During the sea voyage towards New York the “husband” dies and the Golem finds herself alone and lost in the big city. During an incident that could have caused a disaster, her nature is recognized by a rabbi who protects and becomes her mentor and guide. Due to her nature Chava can read people’s desires and fears and also possesses great strength that can become destructive. Doubting whether he should save or destroy her, the Rabbi deepens the study on Golems while helping her to blend in.
Ahmad is a Jinni, born on the location of present day Syria more than one thousand years ago. Arbeely, a tinsmith, is brought an old copper flask to repair, one that has been in the client’s family for generations. While he polishes an inscription, he accidentally releases the Jinni, who has no recollection of how he got entrapped in the small object. Ahmad is sheltered by the tinsmith and when the creature of fire proves to be extremely talented with metal manipulation, he also becomes an apprentice in the Tin shop.

Both creatures are faced with a series of challenges, they find living among humans very difficult and they are always at risk for their secret to be revealed. One day, they accidentally meet and immediately understand that they are different beings but united in their uniqueness.

Characters/Writing and other aspects
Since I listened to this book, I spent around a month together with the characters so I got to know them quite well and warm up to them. I thought Ahmad and Chava were well rounded, their strength and weaknesses were balanced, I was sorry for them, I cheered when they were happy and got angry when they did something stupid and hurt someone. The supporting characters were also interesting and diverse. The book was a bit too long, there were some parts that could have been cut but in the same time my relationship with the characters would have been shallower.
The writing was beautiful, perfect for storytelling. I loved how the authors wrote the setting, the sense of place and time felt vibrant and real, even when we were in New York of 1899 or transported in the desert many years in the past. There is magic, action, mystery and glimpses in the life of immigrants relatable to anyone that left their home.

The Audiobook
I believe this book is perfect for narration and George Guidall did a perfect job. He is a very talented narrator and I enjoyed my time spend with him and the beautiful story created by Helene Wecker. He managed to move seamlessly from a female voice to a male one and the pacing was just right.