Helene Wecker’s debut, The
Golem and the Jinni, is a phenomenal tale set during a transformative time
in the United States.
Opening at the turn of the century in 1899, it follows a dazzling array of
characters and history, turning New York City
into a fantasy world where they all come together in the melting-pot that is America.
There’s little doubt as to just why this book has already been nominated for a
Nebula Award for Best Novel.
Some spoilers below.
Wecker imbues her novel with a real sense of depth to it.
Magic exists in subtle, folkloric ways. The story starts off when a wealthy but
lonely man, Otto Rotfeld, pays a great sum of money to Yehudah Schaalman to
make the perfect wife. The wizard obliges, and crafts a
Golem, who accompanies Rotfeld on his journey to America, where he can get a new
start. In the hold of a cargo ship, a Golem is awoken only to have her
existence is shattered when Rotfeld dies halfway across the Atlantic,
leaving her overwhelmed and directionless.
At the same time, a Jinni is awoken by a tin smith named Boutros
Arbeely in Little Syria, a thousand years after he was placed in an oil lamp. A
powerful magical creature, he’s constrained by a metal band around his wrist,
trapping him in human form. He’s disoriented, finding himself across the world
and out of time, trapped by a wizard with plans of his own.
The pair are both unlikely sorts of immigrants to North
America, and at the same time, their predicaments encapsulate the newcomer’s
experience in America:
fresh off the boat, each with no past and every possibility lying before them.
The Jinni, Ahmad, finds work with Arbeely, while the Golem, Chava, is saved by
Rabbi Avram Meyer, who recognizes what she is. The two begin to make their own
lives in the city, working to reconcile their supernatural natures with their
new lives. As they do so, their supernatural abilities attract the company of
others, who move to take advantage of them.
Wecker paints a vivid portrait of their lives, weaving in
stories from a fascinating cast of characters: Mahmoud Saleh, a former doctor
sickened with a demon, Maryam Faddoul, owner of a coffee shop, Fadwa al-Hadid,
a Bedouin girl from Ahmad’s distant past, and others. As she does so, we’re
privy to the entire face of 1899 New
York City, from its wealthiest inhabitants to the
newcomers. By exploring their backstories, Wecker turns what would be an
otherwise straightforward fantasy adventure into a narrative with a great
amount of deliberate depth to it. This isn’t a quick read: we’re forced to take
our time as we move from character to character, and the novel unfolds
wonderfully.
We spend some serious time with the characters, and in that
time, Wecker gets to explore some interesting things. Supernatural individuals
each, Chava and Ahmad have their own, deep character flaws that help to drive
their respective journeys. Chava is built to obey her master, unconditionally,
and after Rotfeld’s death early in the novel, she continually struggles with
blocking out the desires and impulses of those around her. At times, she slips up,
stealing food and even becoming violent. Ahmad, on the other hand, is the
epitome of independence: he struggles with working around others, often
slipping out on his own and acting impulsively or arrogantly with those around
him.
This unlikely pair eventually meet, and it’s clear that
their connection and relationship runs deep, eventually driving the story’s
entire narrative to a quick and climatic conclusion. Wecker’s characters are
flawed outside of their own spheres: Ahmad in the desert and Chava with her
master. However, it’s the driving motivation behind this story that helps each
to make new lives for themselves, one that has helped to populate this country
in the first place: America
as the land of opportunity. Unwilling as they are, Chava and Ahmad find
themselves breaking away from their natures and working to join the new
developing culture around them. They each have their own marked changes as they
move forward: the Golem becomes Chava, who largely overcomes her obedient
nature, while the Jinni becomes Ahmad and learns that reliance on those around
them isn’t a bad thing.
The Golem and the
Jinni is a powerful, vivid novel that pulls religion, folklore and magic
into a fascinating point in American history. Wecker’s style of fantasy
reminded me of Neil Gaiman’s novels, touching on a deeper cultural identity and
presenting a story that quintessentially looks for the roots of what it means
to be ‘American’. The answer is deep in our roots: from the hundreds of
newcomers that came to our shores looking for a new beginning. For her own
beginning, Wecker is off to a fantastic start.
