![]() ![]() A few days into the voyage, Otto has certain misgivings and rushes to the cargo hold to check on his golem. Otto seals his golem and bride-to-be within a crate and sets sail for the Americas. The rabbi then gives Otto a slip of paper with two charms written on it: one to wake her, one to destroy her. Aside from her cool temperature, she is indistinguishable. She has real hair, fingernails and eyes, while the rest of her is made from clay. ![]() Intrigued, the rabbi sets to work and creates a masterpiece. Curiously, Otto asks the rabbi to imbue traits such as intelligence and curiosity rather than sexual prowess or other less-than-noble characteristics. At first the rabbi dismisses the idea but after consulting his books, he agrees to accept the project. After losing his business, and losing any hope of prospective brides, he commissions a disgraced rabbi to create a golem for him that could pass for a human woman. The story begins in Poland with a Jewish man by the name of Otto Rotfield who wishes to start his life anew in America and with a new bride. A friendship is born, one that is strong enough to withstand the battle lines drawn by religion, society, blood, and dark magic. A golem fashioned from clay and into the shape of a woman befriends a jinni recently released from his bottle. For her debut novel, Helene Wecker dazzles us with a mystical tale that combines Arab and Jewish folklore in a turn-of-the-century New York City setting. ![]()
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