The Hidden Palace

A Novel of the Golem and the Jinni

By: Helene Wecker

Narrated by: George Guidall

Length: 16 hrs and 19 mins

Publisher's Summary

In this enthralling historical epic, set in New York City and the Middle East in the years leading to World War I - the long-awaited follow-up to the acclaimed New York Times best seller The Golem and the Jinni - Helene Wecker revisits her beloved characters Chava and Ahmad as they confront unexpected new challenges in a rapidly changing human world.

Chava is a golem, a woman made of clay, who can hear the thoughts and longings of those around her and feels compelled by her nature to help them. Ahmad is a jinni, a restless creature of fire, once free to roam the desert but now imprisoned in the shape of a man. Fearing they’ll be exposed as monsters, these magical beings hide their true selves and try to pass as human - just two more immigrants in the bustling world of 1900s Manhattan. Brought together under calamitous circumstances, their lives are now entwined - but they’re not yet certain of what they mean to each other.

Both Chava and Ahmad have changed the lives of the people around them. Park Avenue heiress Sophia Winston, whose brief encounter with Ahmad left her with a strange illness that makes her shiver with cold, travels to the Middle East to seek a cure. There she meets Dima, a tempestuous female jinni who’s been banished from her tribe. Back in New York, in a tenement on the Lower East Side, a little girl named Kreindel helps her rabbi father build a golem they name Yossele - not knowing that she’s about to be sent to an orphanage uptown, where the hulking Yossele will become her only friend and protector.

Spanning the tumultuous years from the turn of the 20th century to the beginning of World War I, The Hidden Palace follows these lives and others as they collide and interleave. Can Chava and Ahmad find their places in the human world while remaining true to each other? Or will their opposing natures and desires eventually tear them apart - especially once they encounter, thrillingly, other beings like themselves?

©2021 Helene Wecker (P)2021 HarperCollins Publishers

First book was better, but narration is great!

I loved The Golem and the Jinni, but did not like this sequel as much, While there were several aspects of the book that I really liked (e.g., Chava's personal development, Kreindel's and Toby's stories), there were some aspects that I did not particularly like, For example, while I usually like books that move back and forth between storylines, I felt it was overdone in this book. I also felt that the Jinni's story was not as interesting as in the first book, and I did not get at all engaged with the story involving the female Jinni, In addition, perhaps because I read the first book six or seven years ago, I found it hard to recall some of the specifics from that book that were referenced to, often in important ways, in this sequel. Nonetheless, In spite of my reservations about this book, if you read the first one, I suggest you give this one a try. And, as is always the case, George Guidall's narration is excellent! He is one of my all-time favorite Audible narrators and I feel he did a terrific job narrating this book,

Loved it

The settings, characters, fantasy, history, religion, are blended so perfectly in these 2 books. I love the 2nd book as much if not more than the first. An amazing continuation of the story and I loved every minute of it. The narrator of these books is absolutely perfect and love his voice. Helene Wecker is now added to my list of favorite authors!

Great sequel!

The Golem and the Jinni is probably my favorite book of all time. So much so that I contemplated NOT reading this sequel because I didn’t think it would be fair. But I’m so glad I did! The author doesn’t force anything. No expected plot twists or sappy conclusions. This book is more about acculturation than immigration which is interesting. It is also more fantastical than the first book which normally I wouldn’t like but there’s so much real history packed into the book that it still felt like historical fiction. The narrator is the same as the one in the first book and he’s just wonderful! Oh I’m already sad this book is over!

Incredibile story telling

I am moved by your story telling. The detail, the characters, and narrator are incredible.

A Must Read

the Hidden Palace, the second Golem and the Jinni book is as good as the first. a easy fun listen, great story and really hard to put down. just loved it. Can't wait for the next book

Magical!

Excellent story and outstanding narration. George Guidall is our favorite audible reader. Characters were believable and as realistic as possible. Fantasy come to life.

a glorious story of life

The author's ability to tell a story about life is striking. This is the story of so many generations of Americans told in the metaphor of these two travelers. The characters are us and we understand them on a level that is beyond many narratives. story is just as good as the first book and does not suffer from sequelitis at all. so many sequels might have suffered from trying to write that book again. this book is not the same book it is a continuation of a beautiful life story.

Great Sequel!

I enjoyed this sequel story.
The new characters fit with the ones we already knew!
Great Performance!

Reader’s cadence detracted

The performance of this story was badly marred by the reader’s consistent cadence. It was difficult at times to tell one sentence or thought from the next which became confusing enough to pull me out of the story being told.

Worth the Wait

This book picks up nicely where "The Golem and the Jinni" left off. It's been awhile since I read the first book, so admittedly, I had forgotten a few details. However, there are brief reminders in the book so this was not a problem.

The characters from the first book are back along with a handful of new, just as interesting characters. This book has been on my "to read" list since I finished the first one and it did not disappoint!

Lovely, lovely and lovely.

Been looking looking forward to this book for years and it didn’t disappoint. It was nice to be back in the world of the Golem and the Jinni and seeing how their relationship evolves over time and that epilogue hit me in the feels.

Narration was excellent.

Well rounded sequel

The record speed at which I listened to this story is indicative of its compelling nature. The author skilfully draws together old and new threads and the narrator is faultless. Highly recommended sequel.

Just...more of the same

Starts with some interesting ideas, and character additions. but ultimately, the story is more Barbara Taylor Bradford than the previous. A lot of the characters just doing ordinary stuff with nothing compelling in the middle. The typical second volume like most series where the couple split up (or the superhero loses his powers depending on the genre) . A stunning performance of a mediocre story. The next must step up and present a story with better pace and tension.

A great tale, well read

Great follow-up to the first book and wonderfully narrated. You really get lost in the story and the adventures of the characters. I love that the ending is open, suggesting a third instalment could be a possibility.