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The Hidden Palace

A Novel of the Golem and the Jinni

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The Hidden Palace

By: Helene Wecker
Narrated by: George Guidall
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About this listen

In this enthralling historical epic, set in New York City and the Middle East in the years leading to World War I - the long-awaited follow-up to the acclaimed New York Times best seller The Golem and the Jinni - Helene Wecker revisits her beloved characters Chava and Ahmad as they confront unexpected new challenges in a rapidly changing human world.

Chava is a golem, a woman made of clay, who can hear the thoughts and longings of those around her and feels compelled by her nature to help them. Ahmad is a jinni, a restless creature of fire, once free to roam the desert but now imprisoned in the shape of a man. Fearing they’ll be exposed as monsters, these magical beings hide their true selves and try to pass as human - just two more immigrants in the bustling world of 1900s Manhattan. Brought together under calamitous circumstances, their lives are now entwined - but they’re not yet certain of what they mean to each other.

Both Chava and Ahmad have changed the lives of the people around them. Park Avenue heiress Sophia Winston, whose brief encounter with Ahmad left her with a strange illness that makes her shiver with cold, travels to the Middle East to seek a cure. There she meets Dima, a tempestuous female jinni who’s been banished from her tribe. Back in New York, in a tenement on the Lower East Side, a little girl named Kreindel helps her rabbi father build a golem they name Yossele - not knowing that she’s about to be sent to an orphanage uptown, where the hulking Yossele will become her only friend and protector.

Spanning the tumultuous years from the turn of the 20th century to the beginning of World War I, The Hidden Palace follows these lives and others as they collide and interleave. Can Chava and Ahmad find their places in the human world while remaining true to each other? Or will their opposing natures and desires eventually tear them apart - especially once they encounter, thrillingly, other beings like themselves?

©2021 Helene Wecker (P)2021 HarperCollins Publishers
Fantasy Fiction Historical Jewish Literary Fiction New York Magical Realism Fiction
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What listeners say about The Hidden Palace

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  • Overall
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Loved this …

After Helene Weckers first novel I ordered but waited months before listening to the sequel which didn’t disappoint. The characters blossomed and the new ones developed w well written and nuanced interactions between them. I enjoyed the imaginative fantasy of Djinni’s and Golems and the author’s boldness at creating more, skillfully weaving their interplay w the earthbound players and bringing the various strands of the plot together in a sustained climax and subsequent measured and satisfying denouement… good endings are a challenge !

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  • Overall
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Nice story, audio not very good

Not quite in the same league as the first book but still a good read. The audio however fluctuates a lot in volume which can be annoying. Also it plays too fast at an unnatural speed, I had to reduce the playback speed to 0.9.

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  • Overall
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Entertaining blend of fantasy set against a historical backdrop.

I loved both books and probably rushed through them far too quickly in my desire to follow the lives of the characters. I wish that she would continue their adventures as I think that 20th century history offers plenty of possibilities.

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LOVE THIS SERIES

The books take place around the turn if the 19th century and early 20th century. Not at all my usual period, but (like Downton Abbey) I found it wonderful and really looked forward each day to listening.

I also listened to the first book which I found equally as good.

The basic story seems like it may be a bit improbable (and so perhaps too ‘hokey’ to make a story that would appearing adults. But this isn’t at all the case. The characters are real and three dimensional - with heroes having flaws and villains sometimes also occasionally doing a good turn.And the story feels real and believable.

The narrator does a very good job, but his range on female and young voices as well as foreign accents is somewhat limited.

Really looking foretold another book in this series!

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Brilliant

Loved it, as good as if not better than the first book. Highly recommend, looking forward to more hopefully.

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A great tale, well read

Great follow-up to the first book and wonderfully narrated. You really get lost in the story and the adventures of the characters. I love that the ending is open, suggesting a third instalment could be a possibility.

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Enjoyable sequel, annoying narration

I loved the first book and was looking forward to the sequel. I enjoyed the story and the characters, but really struggled with the narration - apparently the poor man was unable to complete a full sentence without pausing in the middle of each one to draw breath. I’m afraid I found it really annoying and it took the edge off my enjoyment.

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Another good listen

Loved this book, the old and new characters, but did find some parts a bit slow. Would still recommend.

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Lovely, lovely and lovely.

Been looking looking forward to this book for years and it didn’t disappoint. It was nice to be back in the world of the Golem and the Jinni and seeing how their relationship evolves over time and that epilogue hit me in the feels.

Narration was excellent.

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worth the wait.

I have a soft spot for The Golem and the Djinni as it was one of my first audiobooks listens, many years ago. I have been awaiting the sequel and looking forward to it . It was wonderful to discover the fate of old favourites and welcome new characters.It is a worthy addition to the story and I will no doubt enjoy it again at some time in the future.

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