The Golem and the Jinni

A Novel

By: Helene Wecker

Narrated by: George Guidall

Length: 19 hrs and 42 mins

Publisher's summary

Audie Award Finalist, Fiction, 2014

Helene Wecker's dazzling debut novel tells the story of two supernatural creatures who appear mysteriously in 1899 New York. Chava is a golem, a creature made of clay, brought to life by a strange man who dabbles in dark Kabbalistic magic. When her master dies at sea on the voyage from Poland, she is unmoored and adrift as the ship arrives in New York Harbor. 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 this strange new place, the Golem and the Jinni try to fit in with their neighbors while masking their true natures. Surrounding them is a community of immigrants: the coffeehouse owner Maryam Faddoul, a pillar of wisdom and support for her Syrian neighbors; the solitary ice cream maker Saleh, a damaged man cursed by tragedy; the kind and caring Rabbi Meyer and his beleaguered nephew, Michael, whose Sheltering House receives newly arrived Jewish men; the adventurous young socialite Sophia Winston; and the enigmatic Joseph Schall, a dangerous man driven by ferocious ambition and esoteric wisdom.

Meeting by chance, the two creatures 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 listenable, The Golem and the Jinni weaves strands of folk mythology, historical fiction, and magical fable into a wondrously inventive and unforgettable tale.

©2013 Helene Wecker (P)2013 HarperCollins Publishers

Completely enveloped

What a story and on the streets and rooftops of New York City! Loved it.

wonderful and unexpected

I couldn't stop listening. the reader was excellent and the story was very engaging. yay!

Thoroughly enjoyable

The book starts a bit slowly, but once it gets going takes wonderful and unexpected twists and turns.

turn of the 20th century NYC comes alive!

Back when I was a college student many years ago one weekend my roommate wanted to visit his girlfriend who went to school several states away. I had a car and he didn’t. After a bit of negotiation, we went on a road trip to visit his girlfriend. When we arrived she suggested we visit an elderly friend with her, as was her routine. A few hours later we were in the home of a woman in her mid-80s. She was a gracious lady and a wonderful storyteller. As we sat listening to her, she unfolded a tale of her youth at the turn of the 20th century in New York City. It was a magical tale that totally engaged us and seemed to transport us to that distant time and place.

I was reminded of that experience as I listened to "The Golem and the Jinni" by Helene Wecker. The author weaves an engaging tale that makes that same time period come alive for the listener. The characters are full-blooded, complex and believable. Of course, it is a very long story, some 19 hours of listening time, but rather than drag out the tale its length provides enough space in which to allow the characters to come alive. I honestly enjoyed the book with its mix of fantasy and realism. It also works as an allegory for anyone who is on the margins of society because they are different.

George Guidall is the narrator. He is a master narrator and does an excellent job of bringing "The Golem and the Jinni" to life. I have never been disappointed with a book read by him. His contribution to this tale is significant.

Fantastic narration... Wonderful and original story!

Wonderful, original story. You can very pleasantly lose yourself and escape into this one... Don't hesitate! One of the best credits Iv ever spent!

unexpected entertaining

I didn't expect the ending - that is high praise. I adore the myriad of characters, evil and innocence that fleet across the pages. there is depth and flash to this story that draw you in until you feel like you're apart of their reality. The rabbi, God bless him. His nephew, bless his heart.
Those story will strike a chord with anybody still struggling to find their place in this world. Aren't we all!?

An Endless Fantasy

I felt the beginning was rather slow and at first I wondered if I had made a four choice of books. Soon though I was carried away by that many characters that were so well developed and their fantasy that I could never have imagined. The story picked up it's pace fairly soon and I wanted to listen more and more. It is a long book and I loved that the story was so complex and multilayered. There is so much to tell about it yet I feel it is a discovery that everyone should make as they listen. I'd recommend it to anyone that loves fantasy, romance, other cultures, customs and intrigue. The story has all those elements and so much more.

Entrancing

A thoroughly enjoyable story, this audio delight had me listening to the detriment of my own productivity. The author's cultural knowledge interwove the characters' lives so beautiful, and of course a genius finish. The performer's voices had me feeling as though I'd befriended the characters themselves. Though it left a little to be desired with regard to certain thematic developments, I admit my own bias may color this particular aspect. All in all, such a delightful story to get lost in- a million years could pass by and I'd hardly be aware.

Rich fantasy

What an intriguing story. I kept wanting to go back to it even when I had so many other things to do

Not fantasy but reality

Absolutely loved this book! I expected fantasy with fantastical things, but this is more about people. Learning who one is and how they fit into the world.