The Hidden Palace
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- Create Date：2021-06-10 02:19:14
- Update Date：2025-09-14
- Status：finish
- Author：Helene Wecker
- ISBN：0062468715
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Reviews
Jason
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A disappointment。The new characters are awful and take up a lot of space， and alas are at the center of the anticlimax。 They are poor substitutes for those who passed in Golem & Jinni。Ahmad's development happens only slightly， at the very end。 Chava's story is nice enough， I suppose， but her growth is definitely much more nuanced and impressive in the first book。Parts of that one were quite special and distinct， and there's nothing here even approaching that。 It's possible that a third installme A disappointment。The new characters are awful and take up a lot of space， and alas are at the center of the anticlimax。 They are poor substitutes for those who passed in Golem & Jinni。Ahmad's development happens only slightly， at the very end。 Chava's story is nice enough， I suppose， but her growth is definitely much more nuanced and impressive in the first book。Parts of that one were quite special and distinct， and there's nothing here even approaching that。 It's possible that a third installment could justify this sequel's existence， but as it stands， notsomuch。 。。。more
Mary Beth
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The gorgeous follow-up to The Golem and the Jinni is worth the wait。 The Hidden Palace expands the cast of characters， the breadth of the mythology around them， and the issues at play among them while staying deeply true to the continued story， its rich historical detail， and its thoughtful and empathetic sensibility。 Wecker invests her fantasy with humanity （broadly speaking， of course）， creating something very special and absolutely engrossing。
Suzanne
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I really enjoyed the first in this series but this， THE HIDDEN PALACE， left me unenchanted。 It could just be me。 It takes much more to engage me now， in this year of the Pandemic。 I am much less easily entertained。 But I found my mind constantly wandering while reading this book whereas when I read the first in the series， I was enchanted。 There were too many characters and too many problems with unanswerable questions。 I couldn’t find any sense of resolution hovering at the edge of this tale。 I I really enjoyed the first in this series but this， THE HIDDEN PALACE， left me unenchanted。 It could just be me。 It takes much more to engage me now， in this year of the Pandemic。 I am much less easily entertained。 But I found my mind constantly wandering while reading this book whereas when I read the first in the series， I was enchanted。 There were too many characters and too many problems with unanswerable questions。 I couldn’t find any sense of resolution hovering at the edge of this tale。 I received my copy from the publisher through edelweiss。 。。。more
Jenn
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I loved getting swept up in this。 Amazing， atmospheric storytelling。
Meredith Sommers
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Even more enjoyable than The Golem & the Jinni -- so gratifying to have a long-awaited sequel turn out to be so much fun！
Sarah
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Their mutual enemy vanquished， Chava the free golem and Ahmad the bound jinni try to carve out lives for themselves amidst the bustling humanity of early twentieth century New York City。 Meanwhile， Ahmad's one-time lover Sophia roams the world seeking a cure for the affliction he left her; Chava's old friend Anna tries to shield her son from her past; a rabbi's daughter helps shape the golem who will become her protector; and a jinniyeh with a curious immunity to iron is smitten by tales of the Their mutual enemy vanquished， Chava the free golem and Ahmad the bound jinni try to carve out lives for themselves amidst the bustling humanity of early twentieth century New York City。 Meanwhile， Ahmad's one-time lover Sophia roams the world seeking a cure for the affliction he left her; Chava's old friend Anna tries to shield her son from her past; a rabbi's daughter helps shape the golem who will become her protector; and a jinniyeh with a curious immunity to iron is smitten by tales of the iron-bound jinni。 Their lives weave together over the years， buffeted by the forces of history and beset by their own natures。 Thanks， Netgalley。 。。。more
Jonathan Hawpe
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Helene Wecker revisits her characters from the wonderful Golem And The Jinni for another stellar mix of historical fiction and mythological fantasy that stands on its own， and might be even better than the first one！ Dickensian plotting full of intrigue， romance， tragedy and triumph swirls around real life events of early 20th C。 New York， and Salman-Rushdie-esque magical realism blending Jewish and Arabic folklore。 Splendid！
Lizanne Johnson
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Helene Wecker did a wonderful job giving just enough back story from The Golem and the Jinni to help me remember the plot and characters。 I thoroughly enjoyed the continuation of the story。 I loved everything about it！ The character development was deep and satisfying。 The storyline was steady。 As different plot lines intersected， the pace picked up。 The important historical events interwoven in the story felt natural and lent realism to the fantasy。 I am excited to start sharing the sequel。 Tha Helene Wecker did a wonderful job giving just enough back story from The Golem and the Jinni to help me remember the plot and characters。 I thoroughly enjoyed the continuation of the story。 I loved everything about it！ The character development was deep and satisfying。 The storyline was steady。 As different plot lines intersected， the pace picked up。 The important historical events interwoven in the story felt natural and lent realism to the fantasy。 I am excited to start sharing the sequel。 Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this arc in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Lisa
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The Hidden Palace is the sequel to The Golem and the Jinni， a fantasy I'd categorize more as magical realism meets historical fiction: melding Arab and Jewish folklore in NYC in the early 1900s。As much as I adored The Golem and the Jinni， The Hidden Palace didn't work for me。 The pace was plodding: lots of telling not showing， inclusion of so many different issues that not a single one is properly fleshed out。 There are。。。 5 main characters that each get their own separate storyline that it swit The Hidden Palace is the sequel to The Golem and the Jinni， a fantasy I'd categorize more as magical realism meets historical fiction: melding Arab and Jewish folklore in NYC in the early 1900s。As much as I adored The Golem and the Jinni， The Hidden Palace didn't work for me。 The pace was plodding: lots of telling not showing， inclusion of so many different issues that not a single one is properly fleshed out。 There are。。。 5 main characters that each get their own separate storyline that it switches between？ Completely lacking cohesion and focus。I made it halfway before "setting it aside for a while。" That was over a week ago and I have no desire to pick it back up and find out how it finishes， so setting it aside for now。Thank you to the publisher for a gifted copy in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Karah Iansito
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This is the sequel to Helene Wecker's award-winning The Golem and the Jinni。 The story picks up with Chava and Ahmad as they navigate early 20th century New York city。 As with the first book， Wecker's fantastic characters are larger-than-life， but the story was not nearly as compelling as in the first book。 I was thrilled to get my hands on an advance copy， but dragged myself to the finish。 If you loved the first book， as I did， I would still recommend you pick up the sequel to see for yourself This is the sequel to Helene Wecker's award-winning The Golem and the Jinni。 The story picks up with Chava and Ahmad as they navigate early 20th century New York city。 As with the first book， Wecker's fantastic characters are larger-than-life， but the story was not nearly as compelling as in the first book。 I was thrilled to get my hands on an advance copy， but dragged myself to the finish。 If you loved the first book， as I did， I would still recommend you pick up the sequel to see for yourself if the continuing story of Chava and Ahmad is for you。 。。。more
Alana
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Oh it was nice to be back with these characters again。 This book and the previous one reminds me of the books I borrowed from my mom and grandma when I was growing up。
Alicia
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https://wordnerdy。blogspot。com/2021/0。。。I don’t know what exactly I was expecting of this book， but this definitely veered off in several directions I /did not/ expect。 I will say there are some new characters this time around， which is nice; I was particularly interested in the rabbi's daughter， but Anna's son is a welcome POV character as well。 And the Golem and Sophia both have some especially interesting storylines this time around too。 I liked the emphasis on community in this one， and did https://wordnerdy。blogspot。com/2021/0。。。I don’t know what exactly I was expecting of this book， but this definitely veered off in several directions I /did not/ expect。 I will say there are some new characters this time around， which is nice; I was particularly interested in the rabbi's daughter， but Anna's son is a welcome POV character as well。 And the Golem and Sophia both have some especially interesting storylines this time around too。 I liked the emphasis on community in this one， and did like how it wrapped up。 It just gave me a lot of mixed feelings。 I mean， I stayed up late to finish it so clearly I did enjoy it！ A-。__A review copy was provided by the publisher。 This book will be released on June 8th。 。。。more
Claire
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That hurt。 All of the characters are lonely， even our golem and jinni， even though they're in a romantic relationship。 As the story goes on， the characters become more lonely no matter how much their circumstances change。 In the end， people are less lonely， but the journey is painful。This is an excellent book。 The characters are three-dimensional to the point that when they argue， you can see both sides of the argument。 The setting is gorgeous with showing all the parts of New York and the Middl That hurt。 All of the characters are lonely， even our golem and jinni， even though they're in a romantic relationship。 As the story goes on， the characters become more lonely no matter how much their circumstances change。 In the end， people are less lonely， but the journey is painful。This is an excellent book。 The characters are three-dimensional to the point that when they argue， you can see both sides of the argument。 The setting is gorgeous with showing all the parts of New York and the Middle East before and during World War I。 The middle part's pacing did stall， but once the storylines started intersecting， the pacing picked up。This review is based on an advanced reader copy provided through Netgalley for an honest review。 。。。more
Angela
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A stellar follow-up to The Golem and the Jinni。 Wecker provides just enough backstory at the beginning to remind you of the characters but not make you tear your hair out。 Adding new characters and layers to the myths， a fabulous job。 Do not miss。
Emily
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Advance copy from NetGalley。What a lovely sequel！ I snuggled right back into these characters’ lives， and I loved the additional points of view。 Sophia， Kreindel， and Toby’s perspectives added nicely to the intersecting stories， and they enriched the overall narrative。 I probably cared least about Dima， but she was still important to the story， and I liked that the other characters were more gracious towards her than I was。It’s been eight years since I read the first book， and the story could ha Advance copy from NetGalley。What a lovely sequel！ I snuggled right back into these characters’ lives， and I loved the additional points of view。 Sophia， Kreindel， and Toby’s perspectives added nicely to the intersecting stories， and they enriched the overall narrative。 I probably cared least about Dima， but she was still important to the story， and I liked that the other characters were more gracious towards her than I was。It’s been eight years since I read the first book， and the story could have ended there。 The author gracefully worked in review of important plot points to ease the continuation of the story after so long away from it。 The complications addressed in this sequel made sense for how things would continue， but it was still hard to see beloved characters struggling。 Like the first book， it was a beautifully written， slow build to the culmination of these struggles， and Wecker marked important events in history along the way—the Triangle Shirtwaist fire， World War I， the Russian pogroms， the sinking of the Titanic and the Lusitania—incorporating them into her characters’ lives both directly and peripherally。 Once the story hit the climax， it was very hard to put the book down or think of anything else。 The kindness of the immigrant communities and the individuals who guarded Chava and Ahmad’s secrets is part of what makes the books so wonderful。 The golem and the jinni’s experience of living among humans—being changed by them， as well as affecting them—is a nice metaphor for the immigrant experience of both adjusting to a new country and enriching it。The book ends on a hopeful note that， like the first， could be left alone as a completion of the story， but leaves room for more if the author decides to pick up these characters again。 I hope she does。 。。。more
Jason Snell
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This isn't a sly side-story or something， it's a full-on direct sequel to The Golem and the Jinni。 There are some new characters， but also all the familiar characters pick up where they left off， as the world continues to go forward。 If you read the two books back to back it might even seem like one gigantic story。 My only real complaint is that I wish there were more！ This isn't a sly side-story or something， it's a full-on direct sequel to The Golem and the Jinni。 There are some new characters， but also all the familiar characters pick up where they left off， as the world continues to go forward。 If you read the two books back to back it might even seem like one gigantic story。 My only real complaint is that I wish there were more！ 。。。more
Cook Memorial Public Library
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Highly recommended by Jo， who will interview Libertyville native Helene Wecker in a Zoom event at 7 p。m。 central time June 16。 To register: https://cooklib。libnet。info/event/511。。。Check our catalog: https://encore。cooklib。org/iii/encore。。。 Highly recommended by Jo， who will interview Libertyville native Helene Wecker in a Zoom event at 7 p。m。 central time June 16。 To register: https://cooklib。libnet。info/event/511。。。Check our catalog: https://encore。cooklib。org/iii/encore。。。 。。。more
Cynthia
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I have been waiting for this book ever since I finished the first one several years ago and it did not disappoint。 Loved it and can't wait to share with friends。 I have been waiting for this book ever since I finished the first one several years ago and it did not disappoint。 Loved it and can't wait to share with friends。 。。。more
Jo
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What a fabulous sequel to Golem and the Jinni！ I'll be in conversation with Helene Wecker for a June 16 Cook Library Zoom event。 Please join me！ To register: https://cooklib。libnet。info/event/511。。。 What a fabulous sequel to Golem and the Jinni！ I'll be in conversation with Helene Wecker for a June 16 Cook Library Zoom event。 Please join me！ To register: https://cooklib。libnet。info/event/511。。。 。。。more
Will Byrnes
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If you have not yet read The Golem and the Jinni， stop！ Right now！ Go back。 Read that， then we can talk about the sequel。 Read it already？ Great。 Not yet？ Ok， I’ll wait， but not for a thousand years， like some。You’re back？ Cool。 Great book， right？ So Chava， the golem of book #1 and Ahmad， the jinni of that tale， are a bit older， and a bit wiser。 They are also a bit more rounded as characters。 We’ll get to them in a bit。 Helene Wecker - image from Fantasy Book CafeThe story begins with an extreme If you have not yet read The Golem and the Jinni， stop！ Right now！ Go back。 Read that， then we can talk about the sequel。 Read it already？ Great。 Not yet？ Ok， I’ll wait， but not for a thousand years， like some。You’re back？ Cool。 Great book， right？ So Chava， the golem of book #1 and Ahmad， the jinni of that tale， are a bit older， and a bit wiser。 They are also a bit more rounded as characters。 We’ll get to them in a bit。 Helene Wecker - image from Fantasy Book CafeThe story begins with an extremely devout rabbi， Lev Altschul （very old school） on the Lower East Side （not the guy from the earlier book） He has come across some ancient texts， books with arcane knowledge。 He is not the greatest parent in the world， a widower， much more devoted to his studies than his daughter， Kreindel。 She is taken care of by， essentially， a committee of congregation members。 But she loves her pop and wants to learn， wants to study。 Of course， girls were not welcome to imbibe the texts that Jewish boys were encouraged to learn。 She spies on lessons and picks up what she can。 As it happens there is a pogrom underway in one of the usual places in Eastern Europe。 The rabbi， with the help of those old books， can now do something about it。 He determines to send to a rabbi in Lithuania a weapon that can be used to defend oppressed Jews there。 He works day and night to construct a golem for them。 It does seem that Wecker’s golems always run into transit issues。 Instead of heading across the Atlantic， as planned， this one， Yossele， remains in New York， due to an untimely building fire。 He awaits only wakening。 Replicants from Blade Runner – image from NMESpeaking of golems， Chava is trying her best to be as human as possible， given her natural limitations。 Q: When you thought about writing a golem character， did you think about other legends and myths about people being created out of inanimate matter？ Adam from earth？ The famous Golem of Prague， the greek myth of Prometheus， or Pygmalion？ Frankenstein’s monster？ Or even the idea of creating a modern robot？ Did you want to write from those traditions or come up with something completely different？A: I certainly wrote the Golem’s character with those legends and stories in mind。 In fact， in early drafts she was much closer to something like the Golem of Prague。 She had less emotion， and less insight into the emotions of others。 But it became clear that that wouldn’t do for a main character。 So I made her more empathic， more “human” in that sense， and I think that brought her closer to the androids and cyborgs of modern science fiction， like the replicants of Blade Runner and Star Trek’s Lt。 Commander Data。 But I think all these stories have the same sources at heart， and the same central question， of what happens when we create life that approaches human but isn’t quite。 - from LitLovers interview re Book One Despite being a magical clay being conjured by a spell， Chava still feels the compulsion to help others。 And being telepathic allows her to have a pretty good idea of what folks feel， and need。 Shutting out the onslaught of telepathic noise remains a challenge， but a much reduced one， as she has learned how to block a lot of it out， and she tries to stay away from overcrowded places。 Concerned about people noticing her agelessness， after so long a time at the bakery， where she has been working since she arrived， Chava decides it is wise to move on。 After completing a course of study at Teacher’s College， she finds an excellent gig at a Jewish orphanage in Manhattan， teaching cooking。Lt Commander Data of Star Trek NG – image from WikipediaSpeaking of hot things， in Book One， Ahmad was mostly an elemental character， all fire and immediate gratification。 Book Two shows a bad boy who can still bring the heat， but who has gained considerably more awareness， of himself， and of the world around him。 He has grown a sense of decency， personal responsibility， and a need for purpose。 He remains in business with Arbeely， the man who had released him from his thousand-year imprisonment in a flask。 He molds iron with his bare hands。 Business is good， booming even， so they expand to grander quarters， where Ahmad’s smoldering creative ambitions ignite to full blast。Sleepless in Manhattan， Chava and Ahmad walk the streets and rooftops in the wee hours。 They are best friends， committed to exclusivity with each other re the benefits of their connection。 The young man enamored of Chava in Book One， her husband， is no more， killed off in that earlier tale。 She is rightfully concerned about the downsides of having a husband or bf made of flesh and blood， and who might not live， ya know， forever， not to mention the risk of him discovering what she really is。 Ahmad has sworn off humans， after the damage he did to Sophia Winston in the first book。And， speaking of damaged heiresses， Sophia has been promoted to a top-tier character。 She struggles to cope with the affliction that resulted from her getting jiggi with a jinni。 I guess you could call it an STD， but not the usual sort。 （Even had penicillin been invented， it would not have done the trick。） She cannot get warm。 Sophia is convinced that only place where there is any hope of succor is the Middle East。 She travels to many ancient sites， in a constant search for local experts in pharmacology able to concoct potions that alleviate her perpetual chill。 （I suppose one might see in Sophia’s inability to douse her inner flames a symbol of her carrying the torch for someone。 I wouldn’t。 But some might。）Cleopatra’s Needle， was transported from Egypt and installed in Central Park in 1881 - image from WikipediaIn case there were not enough magical beings wandering about， Wecker balances the scales， tipped by the weighty presence of Yossele， by adding one more。 As it happens， Sophia encounters in her travels yet another fire being， a jinniyeh， Dima。 It appears that the iron-bound jinni （Ahmad） is a character of legend in the jinni world。 This female jinni has something special about her too， （I mean， aside from being a jinni， and going about her business unimpeded by attire） and is hoping to meet up with the only other jinni she has heard of who is also an outsider in their particular circle。 She stands in contrast to Ahmad， presenting as the self-centered ball of fire he used to be。Everybody wants something。 Chava wants to be human; Ahmad wants a purpose; Sophia wants a cure; the jinniyeh wants a compatriot， maybe a partner。 And in case that is not enough， Yossele wants to protect his master。 Kreindel wants to study Hebrew and learn all that her father had learned。 More？ Remember Anna， a former workmate of Chava’s at the bakery？ Chava had seriously put an end to Anna’s husband whaling on her， and subsequently helped Anna and her son， Toby。 Anna is terrified of Chava and wants her to stay away。 In this book， Toby is a fifteen-year-old Western Union messenger， who wants to know who his father is， and who that creep in his recurring dreams might be， and what the deal is with Chava and that Arab guy。Wecker has seriously kicked up her game for this novel。 There was plenty going in in the first book in terms of discussions about serious questions of religion and morality。 That is no less the case in this one， with the exception that these characters are better drawn， more complex， and more interesting。 They struggle with ethical dilemmas， and are challenged to make difficult decisions。 There are some lovely interactions among them that will make you smile， maybe even recognize similar tete-a-tetes from your own experience。 Pennsylvania Station - image from Traditional BuildingThis is not a ha ha funny book， but there are some elements of humor here and there。 In a way it is a running joke that Ahmad， while working on a large construction， has continual problems keep the over-sized glass panels he has designed from smashing。 Given that the primary ingredient in glass is sand， it seems fair to ask if Ahmad might be trying to build a literal sand-castle。Washington Square Park – circa 1907 – image from NY Public LibrarySpeaking of palaces， not all are hidden。 The newly opened Pennsylvania Station， a glorious structure， is seen as a kind of palatial caravansery， a roadside inn for travelers from all over， where information was exchanged and commerce was conducted。 It is a favorite spot for Ahmad on his urban peregrinations。 He does not tell Chava about it， however， which makes Penn Station a bit of a hidden palace for him。 Enough， certainly to merit being shown on the cover of the book。 The ancient city of Palmyra， which we visit in Sophia’s wanderings， had once been a center of trade， and had a caravansary， but was mostly a ruin at the time of her visit。 Palatial buildings are not the only old-world structures that echo in early 20th century Manhattan。 The famous arch in Washington Square Park， erected in 1895， which was featured on the cover of The Golem and the Jinni， is reminiscent of the famous arch of Palmyra。 The Greenwich Village arch is encountered again in Book Two。 Cleopatra’s Needle， a two-hundred-ton obelisk， originally built in Egypt in the 15th century， was transported to Central Park in 1881。 Sophia’s father visits it often。 The arch in Palmyra - image from WikipediaThere are many historical touchstones， as the book begins in 1900 and ends with the approach of World War I。 Wecker notes the completion of the Williamsburg Bridge in 1903， the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire of 1911， the 911 of its time， with mass casualties， and people jumping from the top three floors of the ten-story Asch building to keep from being burned alive。 We hear news of the start of World War I in Europe， come across the sinking of the Lusitania in 1915 and see the Arab community in lower Manhattan’s Little Syria neighborhood beginning its move to Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn。 We also see some of the anachronistic social and legal norms of the time。 Kreindel is not allowed to study what Yeshiva boys can。 Chava is not allowed to own property。 Women walking alone at night are considered suspect。 So the women in Wecker’s stories have to be extra strong。 I don’t think I set out to deliberately showcase strong women， but I did consciously work to give every female character her due。 I was very aware that I couldn’t be lazy about the women in my book， that the Victorian setting and the “fairytale” aspects might pull me toward more stereotypically weak or flat female characters if I wasn’t careful。 At the same time， I couldn’t be anachronistic; I had to be true to the constraints that women lived with in that era。 In the end， I became very interested in how they lived with those constraints， how they either chafed against them or found a （perhaps uneasy） peace and a certain amount of self-expression despite them。 - from the Fantasy Literature interview in 2013 Secrecy is a theme that permeates。 Chava thinks Ahmad would prefer having a jinniyeh to her， but cannot bring herself to ask him。 He is hiding from her what he has learned about a huge sacrifice Arbeely had made for him。 Kreindel lies about her age， and is hiding the fact that there is a golem under her control in Manhattan。 （For my money， Kreindel is the most intriguing character in the novel， a child with limited tools forced to cope with life and death decisions， in an often hostile environment。 She generates both admiration for her tough-as-nails exterior and empathy for her suffering。） Sophia is hiding her need for a special potion。 Dima hides from her kind what her special characteristic is。 In addition to hiding from humans what she actually is， Chava keeps Riverside Park and the streets she walks by day secret from Ahmad， as he keeps Penn Station secret from her。 Ahmad is working on a huge project in his building that he will not let anyone see。 I suppose one might see each of these characters as their own walking， talking hidden palaces。 The Williamsburg Bridge under construction circa 1900-1906 - image from the Library of Congress via Untappedcities。comThe whole Golem/Jinni duology （so far） might have gone in a very different direction。 Wecker talks about how it all got started in a lovely interview with the blogger Lady Grey， who has， in fact， been a friend of Wecker’s since childhood。 It was during her MFA program that Wecker ran into a problem。 She had wanted to write a book of linked stories， family tales of cultural background and immigration。 Wecker is Jewish and her husband is Arab-American。 She was impressed by how similar their family stories were， and wanted to highlight that。 You don’t pay all that money for them to be nice to you。 They’re gonna tell you what they think。 I was having this conversation with a friend of mine， Amanda， who was in my workshop with me。 She gave me probably the best tough love conversation I’ve had in my life。 She said， “Helene， can I ask you a question？ Why are you writing like this？” I said “What do you mean， writing like what？” She said， “Ok， you’re doing these very Raymond Carver， very realist short stories。 Very MFA model。 But that’s not who you are。 I’ve been to your apartment。 I’ve seen your bookshelves。 I know what a nerd you are。 And you are always talking in class about injecting the genre into literature， and busting down the barriers and bringing magic into stories and that’s what you groove on。 So why are you not doing that？” I honestly had never thought of that。 She had taken my head and whipped it around to where I needed to be looking at。 You know I’m still like “But that’s not…these stories…don’t…with the，…that， no。“ She said “ok， look。 The next thing I see from you in the workshop， I want it to be about your family， but I want it to be magical。” I was like， “Ok…well that’s my marching orders。 I’m going to do what she said。 I went home and sat and thought about it。 It was， literally， two hours later I had the rough outline for what would be The Golem and the Jinni。” - from the Lady Grey interviewIt has been eight years since The Golem and the Jinni was published。 Why did it take so long to wrote Volume Two？ When her first novel was published， Wecker had a one-year-old。 That child is now nine and a second has joined the family。 Go ahead， try writing a novel with a baby， then giving birth to another， then having small children to take care of， even if you are sharing the duties with your mate。 Piece of cake， right？ Her editor was pretty understanding， at one point even telling her that if she was not ok with what she had written so far， to take another YEAR！ So， supportive beyond belief。 I was lucky， and The Golem and the Jinni was successful enough that， before long， I could start thinking seriously about selling my next book。 Readers seemed interested in a sequel; my publisher， too， liked the concept。 I had a few vague ideas for other， non-Golem-and-Jinni books， but none of them were clamoring to be told。 I was now mother to a two-year-old， with a baby on the way。 I was turning forty， and I was tired。 The first book had taken me seven years to write。 I really， really didn’t want to do that again。 Write a sequel， said my weary brain。 It’s got to be easier than starting over from the beginning。 - from the Fantasy Café interviewI guess that may have provided the needed direction， but her real -world constraints remained， and the work took much longer than hoped。 I have seen no affirmation that a third Golem/Jinni book is planned。 A third book is expected from Wecker， but there is no certainty that it will be another Golem/Jinni novel。 In the interview with Lady Grey， Wecker talks about having a slew of material that was cut from this book。 It sounded to me like she was contemplating a volume of stories that could accompany her two novels。 But the ending of this one presents several hooks that could be developed into a third novel。 I know which direction I hope she takes。 ==========In the summer of 2019 GR reduced the allowable review size by 25%， from 20，000 to 15，000 characters。 In order to accommodate the text beyond that I have moved it to the comments section directly below。 。。。more
Jennifer
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I really enjoyed this sequel。 I enjoyed the other characters that were weaved in together along with the Golem and the Jinni。 I also loved the history part of NYC in the early 1900s and learning more about the Jewish and Syrian cultures。
Cassidee Lanstra
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I read The Golem and the Jinni last year and enjoyed it， so I was excited when I was offered a review copy of The Hidden Palace。 This sequel has the same slow-burning detail as its predecessor and that same way of captivating you in its spell。 Helene Wecker does not disappoint with this installment。We follow the Golem （Chava） and the Jinni （Ahmad） on their journey to accepting themselves and navigating their relationship with one another。 They are both trying to find their place in the world as I read The Golem and the Jinni last year and enjoyed it， so I was excited when I was offered a review copy of The Hidden Palace。 This sequel has the same slow-burning detail as its predecessor and that same way of captivating you in its spell。 Helene Wecker does not disappoint with this installment。We follow the Golem （Chava） and the Jinni （Ahmad） on their journey to accepting themselves and navigating their relationship with one another。 They are both trying to find their place in the world as members of society， which is a bit tougher as mythical beings。 They also have such different desires and character traits that they have to decide if they’re better together or apart。 There are other characters that are more heavily integrated and their presence provides more depth to the story。 Between Toby， Sophie， and Kreindal， Wecker endears us to them in the same way we are endeared to Chava and Ahmad。The folklore and the storylines were immersive， and the confusion as we cover different times and locations was never too hard to untangle。 This story is wrought with heartbreak and emotive storytelling， but it also has this hopefulness that keeps the book from being too dark。 You can tell that Wecker took her time with this novel， fine tuning until it flows seamlessly。I enjoy the way Wecker ends her novels。 As with The Golem and the Jinni， The Hidden Palace ends with a satisfying conclusion but leaves it open to more story being told。 I love when authors do this， as a reader it feels like the door is never closed on the world。 These books are perfect for people that love books saturated with cultural folklore。 Look no further if you’re a fan of novels with gorgeous prose， and quiet， smoldering storytelling。Thank you to Harper for the review copy！ You can grab a much-awaited copy of The Hidden Palace by Helene Wecker on June 8th， 2021。 。。。more
Tasha Robinson
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I truly believed this book would never come out， but if it took this long to get it right， I understand why。 The Golem and the Jinni is my favorite fantasy book of the decade — a rich historical drama as well as a complicated and winding set of plot threads involving many people with tangled pasts， and a philosophical yarn about different fantasy traditions in different cultures。 The Hidden Palace does it all over again — introduces more characters and further develops past characters， lays out I truly believed this book would never come out， but if it took this long to get it right， I understand why。 The Golem and the Jinni is my favorite fantasy book of the decade — a rich historical drama as well as a complicated and winding set of plot threads involving many people with tangled pasts， and a philosophical yarn about different fantasy traditions in different cultures。 The Hidden Palace does it all over again — introduces more characters and further develops past characters， lays out a variety of different completely separate plots and brings them all together， moves the action forward rapidly while looking at the historical changes in turn-of-the-century New York City。 And it still finds time for the eponymous golem and jinni， Ahmad and Chava， to spend long conversations coming to understand each other — and to understand how little they understand each other， and how complicated their relationship is。I love that this book doesn't go in for easy answers or quick reconciliations， and I love the way Helene Wecker uses new characters to further highlight how Chava and Ahmad are unusual for their kind， and to show what they could have been， or are in danger of becoming。 I hope the series continues — it feels like at this point， we know the characters better than ever， and want more than ever for them to figure out how to live with each other， and within the world they've wound up in。 。。。more
Kristen Beverly
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The Golem and the Jinni is one of my all-time favorite books and The Hidden Palace is such a worthy follow up！ Helene Wecker writes such beautifully crafted sentences and the relationships between all the characters are SO rich and complex。 The story that is written in both of these books is so unique and I just can’t get enough of Chava with her steadfast love for the human race and Ahmad with his tormented soul as they are trying to navigate the world。 I sincerely hope there is another one in The Golem and the Jinni is one of my all-time favorite books and The Hidden Palace is such a worthy follow up！ Helene Wecker writes such beautifully crafted sentences and the relationships between all the characters are SO rich and complex。 The story that is written in both of these books is so unique and I just can’t get enough of Chava with her steadfast love for the human race and Ahmad with his tormented soul as they are trying to navigate the world。 I sincerely hope there is another one in our future！！！ If you haven’t yet read The Golem and the Jinni， start now and then you can roll straight into The Hidden Palace！ 。。。more
Lee-ann
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Thank you to netgalley for providing an e-galley for this review。 I was not aware of that there was going to be a second story of the Golem and the Jinni and I loved the first book。 This one was a bit all over the place。 I loved the historical aspects that were given， like the Triangle Shirtwaist fire， the Titanic sinking and the start of WW1， but the slow drawing out the storylines were a bit tiresome。 I felt like I lost the threads of each story and then when I picked them back up， it was swit Thank you to netgalley for providing an e-galley for this review。 I was not aware of that there was going to be a second story of the Golem and the Jinni and I loved the first book。 This one was a bit all over the place。 I loved the historical aspects that were given， like the Triangle Shirtwaist fire， the Titanic sinking and the start of WW1， but the slow drawing out the storylines were a bit tiresome。 I felt like I lost the threads of each story and then when I picked them back up， it was switched to another character。 It seemed as if there were too many characters and plot lines to fully appreciate the intricacies of the story。 。。。more
Melissa
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Wecker once again plunges readers into the fantasy world of the Golem and the Jinni， following both familiar and new characters down the winding streets of Manhattan， across the deserts of the Middle East and Africa， and through a decade and a half of history。 The author deftly weaves the mythology of two cultures into the many events and developments of the Technological Revolution， forming an intricate and realistic bond between all of these elements and creating an epic and emotional journey Wecker once again plunges readers into the fantasy world of the Golem and the Jinni， following both familiar and new characters down the winding streets of Manhattan， across the deserts of the Middle East and Africa， and through a decade and a half of history。 The author deftly weaves the mythology of two cultures into the many events and developments of the Technological Revolution， forming an intricate and realistic bond between all of these elements and creating an epic and emotional journey along the way。 While very different from the first title in terms of execution， this follow-up offers the same feeling of closeness and intimacy as readers discover the many ways in which characters are connected and the small actions seem almost fated to bring people together。 Small summaries of the previous title's main points are much needed， due to both the length of the first novel and the gap of nearly eight years between publications， and are smoothly integrated to help remind readers of major players while not slowing down the pacing or feeling intrusive。 The book also switches perspectives at key moments to offer new information based on the experiences of emotions Chava， Ahmed， Sophia， or Kreindel， the main players， and providing insight that is often well-timed for drama。 The shining jewel of this novel is the characterization of each player， delving deeper into the idea of loneliness， every when surrounded by people， and a need to feel a sense of belonging and love。The book does occasionally drag during the aforementioned perspective shifts at points， sometimes even acknowledging the same exact information; this， however， may be a case of getting an ARC that has yet to be fully edited and might be altered for the final publication。Overall， readers who fell in love with Chava， Ahmed， and the world they lived in will eagerly devor this next installment that offers insight into the connections we make during our lives。 。。。more
Lisa K
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[Note: I won an Advanced Reading Copy in a Goodreads drawing]The early 1900s find Jinni and Golem drawing closer and along with them we experience the wonders and tragedies of the first 15 years of the century。 Arbeely and Jinni's metalwork shop has great success， expands， and the new building they own is a proud part of Little Syria。 At the bakery， Chava begins to train new staff members so that business can expand。 After not too many years， both realize that the fact that they aren't aging wil [Note: I won an Advanced Reading Copy in a Goodreads drawing]The early 1900s find Jinni and Golem drawing closer and along with them we experience the wonders and tragedies of the first 15 years of the century。 Arbeely and Jinni's metalwork shop has great success， expands， and the new building they own is a proud part of Little Syria。 At the bakery， Chava begins to train new staff members so that business can expand。 After not too many years， both realize that the fact that they aren't aging will need to be addressed; Jinni turns inward while Chava leaves the Lower East Side。The story of Sophia Winston continues， too， as she wanders the Middle East seeking cures and a way to stay warm。 Chava's friend Anna， with her fatherless child， continues to just about make-do （with help cautiously accepted from the Golem）; eventually she become involved in suffrage and labor movements。 Chava's new path is to study at the teacher's college at Columbia; from there she takes a position teaching cookery at an orphanage， where she meets up with a new character we've been following for 10 years。 Kreindel's father， a rabbi， died in a fire in there tenement building when she was eight。 She was unable to help him or save his precious books -- but the golem the two of them built survived。 Mythical characters who are outside of time make a great entry point to the excitement and heart-breaks of c。 1900 New York。 They are part of the immigrant experience， and assumptions are made about them as if he were a Bedu， as if she were a Jewish woman born in eastern Europe -- but they have outsiders' eyes， too， and of course longevity。 Enthralling; delightful。 。。。more
Leslie
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This second novel is another terrific blend of historical fiction and fantasy that takes place in the early 20th century in New York City。 I highly recommend it。 My full review is here:https://readersforecast。blogspot。com/。。。 This second novel is another terrific blend of historical fiction and fantasy that takes place in the early 20th century in New York City。 I highly recommend it。 My full review is here:https://readersforecast。blogspot。com/。。。 。。。more
Annie
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The Hidden Palace， by Helene Wecker， is not the book I was expecting。 I think it might not be the book a lot of people have been waiting for since The Golem and the Jinni came out in 2013。 Instead， it’s a more mature book。 It’s the story of what happens after two characters start what they think will be their happily ever after。 This is a book about learning to change or not changing， about learning to trust and betrayal， and about learning how to really love people。 I wasn’t sure about this boo The Hidden Palace， by Helene Wecker， is not the book I was expecting。 I think it might not be the book a lot of people have been waiting for since The Golem and the Jinni came out in 2013。 Instead， it’s a more mature book。 It’s the story of what happens after two characters start what they think will be their happily ever after。 This is a book about learning to change or not changing， about learning to trust and betrayal， and about learning how to really love people。 I wasn’t sure about this book when I started reading it， to be honest。 But although this isn’t a perfect book， there are a lot of things about The Hidden Palace that I really enjoyed。。。Read the rest of my review at A Bookish Type。 I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley， for review consideration。 。。。more
Megan Hart
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