When the Angels Left the Old Country

De: Sacha Lamb

Narrado por: Donald Corren

In publishing-speak, here's what we at the LQ office sometimes describe as the Queer lovechild of Sholem Aleichem and Philip Roth: Uriel the angel and Little Ash (short for Ashmedai) are the only two supernatural creatures in their shtetl (which is so tiny, it doesn't have a name other than Shtetl). The angel and the demon have been studying together for centuries, but pogroms and the search for a new life have drawn all the young people from their village to America. When one of those young emigrants goes missing, Uriel and Little Ash set off to find her.

Along the way, the angel and demon encounter humans in need of their help, including Rose Cohen, whose best friend (and the love of her life) has abandoned her to marry a man, and Malke Shulman, whose father died mysteriously on his way to America. But there are obstacles ahead of them as difficult as what they've left behind. Medical exams (and demons) at Ellis Island. Corrupt officials, cruel mob bosses, murderers, poverty. The streets are far from paved with gold.

With cinematic sweep and tender observation, Sacha Lamb presents a totally original drama about individual purpose, the fluid nature of identity, and the power of love to change and endure.

©2022 Sacha Lamb (P)2022 Recorded Books

The Angel and the Demon

I loved everything about this book! It was so well written and kept me engaged throughout the entire book. The characters had wonderful journeys and woven well into each other and their stories. It was so good!

The combination fantasy and reality will be together with gentle threads it was in near perfect story

There was absolutley nothing didn't like The transformation of Ariel on the voyage was fa fascinating as was all the Jewish mythology

Captivating

What an utterly charming story. I was a little apprehensive to start reading it in case sad, bad things happen to people, but despite sad, bad things happening at times, it remains wonderful and uplifting and at times very funny.

loved this

So compelling with characters that you fall deeply in love with. I've listened more than once and loved every minute. ❤️ The mythology and the history are so well rendered.

A grand adventure on many levels.

I was charmed by the characters, intrigued by the episodic adventure, and touched by the search for identity.

A Must-Read

Beautifully written and engaging - I can barely wait to read it again! The characters are nuanced and complex; the author explores Jewish identity through a diverse lens. I’m disappointed that the reader cannot consistently pronounce Yiddish and Hebrew words - the fact that he can’t even pronounce Tate (Dad) in Yiddish is sad. It takes away from a beautifully written and entirely accurate portrayal of Jews in conversation with Jews.

I loved it!

What a wonderful book! I was captivated from the very first, and hung on every word through all the adventures of Little Ash the demon and Uriel the angel. All of the characters were so interesting, and I was cheering for them throughout. From the old country, to the steamship, to New York City, the plot moved along at a brisk pace, and I never wanted to stop listening. I’m not Jewish, but I loved all the Jewish mysticism present in the story. And the ending was absolutely perfect! A delightful historical fantasy, with a refreshing Jewish perspective.

The narrator wasn’t bad, though I did have problems sometimes differentiating between Little Ash and Uriel when they were speaking. But otherwise I thought he was able to give the book a Yiddish feel in his inflections and speech patterns, that made the book feel authentic.

Warm and entertaining

This book is at once historical and inventive, entertaining and thought provoking, classic and modern. I enjoyed it and will read it again soon. My mother recommended it to me, and I am intrigued that the book appeals to her conservative nature at the same time as it appeals to my progressive inclinations.

Not the same as Good Omen but entertaining

I picked the book because the synopsis sounded similar to Good Omen by Terry Pratchet and Neil Gaimen. The Good Omen follows more of a Christian story with the story of the Antichrist, When angels left the old country has some Jewish mysticism. It is an enjoyable story.

I listen to the audio version and found the story entertaining while doing chores and cooking.

An unexpected delight

I wasn’t convinced when I first started listening to this but it didn’t take long to become hooked.

It doesn’t take long to start feeling invested in the characters and their development.

If I had to describe the story, I would call it a mixture of a large portion of Neil Gaiman, another of Jim Butcher, and a sprinkling of Yiddish and Jewish folklore and they all meld together to create a very intriguing adventure.

I learned quite a few Yiddish words since I didn’t really know any going in.