The Golem and the Jinni

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 old man who dabbles in dark Kabbalistic magic. Ahmad is a jinni, a being of fire, born in the ancient Syrian Desert.

Struggling to make their way in this strange new place, the Golem and the Jinni try to fit in with their Jewish and Syrian neighbors while masking their true natures. Surrounding them is a community of immigrants: the coffeehouse owner Maryam Faddoul; the solitary ice cream maker Saleh; the kind and caring Rabbi Meyer and his beleaguered nephew, Michael; the adventurous young socialite Sophia Winston; and the mysterious Joseph Schall. Meeting by chance, the two creatures become unlikely friends until the night a terrifying incident drives them back into their separate worlds.

But a powerful threat will soon bring the Golem and the Jinni together again, threatening their existence and forcing them to make a fateful choice.