The Golem and the Djinni by Helene Wecker

The ones of a sexual nature are especially annoying for her considering her modesty (programmed in by Schaalman). A Mind Is a Terrible Thing to Read: Chava is usually overwhelmed with the volume of thoughts that she can hear.All Myths Are True: When we see Schaalman's past lives we see that in every reincarnation, he became the equivalent of a priest of the dominant religion of the land he was born in, discovered the mystic arts associated with it, found that they were real, and wound up dead because of his lust for power.And indeed, a couple of times she gets so angry in defense of a person she cares about that she experiences what in a human would probably be called a dissociative episode - her body attacks them while her mind observes, as if from a distance, without being in control. Chava is perpetually worried about it happening to her. Is a Crapshoot: All golems supposedly go berserk or become dangerous at some point.

A friendship is struck, and slowly the threads of their lives and the peoples' around them become more and more intertwined. Choosing the name Ahmad, he begins to work in the tinsmith's shop as an assistant to keep his cover.Īfter months of living amongst the humans, the two meet late at night, instantly recognizing each other as different from the others around them. After hundreds of years of imprisonment, the Jinni still has an iron manacle attached to his wrist, confining him to human form instead of his usual form of a spirit made of flame. She is taken in and named Chava by a kindly old rabbi, who warns her to never let others around her learn of her true nature, lest they destroy her.Īcross town in Little Syria, the Jinni springs from a copper flask being repaired by the local tinsmith. Despite being inhumanly strong and made of clay, her newborn status makes her fearful and confused about the humans surrounding her. In 1899, the Golem wakes up in the cargo of a ship bound for New York City.

The Golem and the Jinni (2013) is a Historical Fantasy novel written by Helene Wecker about two creatures of legend living among immigrant communities at the end of the 19th century.

But I look at it, and I feel a certain way. Now it exists.Īhmad: Yes, but it doesn’t grant wishes. But does that make him less real? Take this arch. And perhaps the humans did create their God.

The Golem and the Djinni by Helene Wecker