the golem and the jinni by helene wecker

Meanwhile, Mahmoud Saleh is a former doctor who was possessed by an ifrit (lesser demon) and now he gets convulsions and cannot see well. Malik's soul has been reincarnated many times, most recently in the form of Yehudah Schaalman. The Jinni's soul is bound to the wizard, so the wizard's soul lives on as long as the Jinni does. The Jinni recalls that he had been captured by a dark wizard, Wahab ibn Malik, who was then killed moments later. When he comes across the Jinni, suddenly the Jinni regains his memory, and the Jinni and Schaalman can see each others' memories. He discovers that the answer may be in New York, so he travels there. In Poland, Schaalman has been searching for the key to eternal life. However, his spell requires the Golem's consent. Michael also has all of the Rabbi's papers, including the spell to bind her to a new master. The Golem ends up getting married to the Rabbi's nephew, Michael Levy. However, he has a heart attack before he can complete his plans. He decides that she needs a master, one who will destroy her if necessary. Golems are by nature dangerous creatures. Rabbi Meyer is kind, but worries about what to do about the Golem.

When the Jinni and the Golem cross paths, they recognize the other's true nature and agree to explore the city together. Arbeely lets the Jinni stay and work with him, the Jinni chooses the name Ahmad.

The Jinni has no memory of the last thousand years. Nearby, in New York's Little Syria neighborhood, a tinsmith, Boutros Arbeely, is working on fixing an old flask when a Jinni emerges from it. He offers her shelter, gets her a job at a bakery and names her Chava. In New York, she meets Rabbi Meyer, who recognizes that she is a Golem.

The Golem is left with no master, but the ability to hear everyone's thoughts. He awakens her on the steamship, but then dies of appendicitis. Golems are brutish slaves meant for protection, but Schaalman agrees anyway. In 1988 in Poland, Otto Rotfeld asks Yehudah Schaalman, a man who deals in dangerous Kabbalistic arts, to build him a Golem to be his wife.

The golem and the jinni by helene wecker