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sophia_sol) wrote2023-01-14 07:44 pm
sophia_sol) wrote2023-01-14 07:44 pm
When the Angels Left the Old Country, by Sacha Lamb
I got this book from skygiants' review, and like, reading through this book I could ABSOLUTELY see how it is obviously the poison for Becca, Becca's poison, but also: I read the first two pages and was immediately confident I would like this book too. And I was right!
It is a historical fantasy novel with three main characters. The first two are an angel and a demon who live together in a Jewish shtetl in Poland as chevrusas, or study partners in their study of the Talmud, but who for a variety of reasons end up immigrating to the US. The third, Rose, is an extremely lesbian Jewish teen girl who immigrates to the US as well, for opportunities and for adventure and for getting away from her best friend Dinah who had the temerity to marry a man. Then they all get involved with labour activism! And also dealing with ghosts and dybbuks and gentile demons and oppressive immigration policies and more.
The three main characters are all so different from each other and I adore all three of them so so so much! Never ever a moment of disappointment on switching viewpoints, just excitement to spend time with that character again. Also: the narrative itself is a character with an "I" which I love too. Actually I would have loved if this was an even more prominent feature too! Love me a book where the narrative isn't trying to disappear into the background but has its own opinions separate from that of the characters it's writing about.
Plus the book as a whole is suffused both with very Jewish and very queer vibes and I love this about it. I am not Jewish myself so cannot speak in detail to that aspect of it, though I always love to read books that go all in on depicting very specific experiences like this! And the queerness....ohhhh it was beautiful. This book not just a book with queer characters; the whole narrative is queer in its soul, and I love that for it. And for me, reading it!!! It's just like, this is a book that understands me.
My biggest complaint (and it is a very small one, in comparison with all the great things about the book) is that I wish we'd gotten more of Actual Essie. She's the macguffin of the plot, the inciting incident that gets the angel and Little Ash to leave their shtetl and eventually end up in the US, and finding her and saving her continues to be a goal that is returned to throughout. But she barely shows up on page at all, and I want to know more of what she's like! From what little we see, I really liked her!
Plus, do I believe that a 16 year old girl who has had a VERY exciting time of it of late and has gone through a bunch of real big life transitions would transfer her affections from her best friend she's been pining over forever to the girl who was the focus of the adventure and who got to see Rose being cool and badass and admiring her for it? Absolutely, but something about how, after barely knowing her, she sees in Essie's eyes what Dinah must have seen in Saul's (and then forgives Dinah easily as a result) doesn't quite sit right. Idk maybe this is me being too aro again! But she knew and loved Dinah very specifically as a person in her life, and she barely knows Essie at all. This is too fast!! Anyway more of Actual Essie would probably have helped with this too.
At any rate, thank you Becca for the rec because this was a GREAT read.
skygiants' review, and like, reading through this book I could ABSOLUTELY see how it is obviously the poison for Becca, Becca's poison, but also: I read the first two pages and was immediately confident I would like this book too. And I was right!It is a historical fantasy novel with three main characters. The first two are an angel and a demon who live together in a Jewish shtetl in Poland as chevrusas, or study partners in their study of the Talmud, but who for a variety of reasons end up immigrating to the US. The third, Rose, is an extremely lesbian Jewish teen girl who immigrates to the US as well, for opportunities and for adventure and for getting away from her best friend Dinah who had the temerity to marry a man. Then they all get involved with labour activism! And also dealing with ghosts and dybbuks and gentile demons and oppressive immigration policies and more.
The three main characters are all so different from each other and I adore all three of them so so so much! Never ever a moment of disappointment on switching viewpoints, just excitement to spend time with that character again. Also: the narrative itself is a character with an "I" which I love too. Actually I would have loved if this was an even more prominent feature too! Love me a book where the narrative isn't trying to disappear into the background but has its own opinions separate from that of the characters it's writing about.
Plus the book as a whole is suffused both with very Jewish and very queer vibes and I love this about it. I am not Jewish myself so cannot speak in detail to that aspect of it, though I always love to read books that go all in on depicting very specific experiences like this! And the queerness....ohhhh it was beautiful. This book not just a book with queer characters; the whole narrative is queer in its soul, and I love that for it. And for me, reading it!!! It's just like, this is a book that understands me.
My biggest complaint (and it is a very small one, in comparison with all the great things about the book) is that I wish we'd gotten more of Actual Essie. She's the macguffin of the plot, the inciting incident that gets the angel and Little Ash to leave their shtetl and eventually end up in the US, and finding her and saving her continues to be a goal that is returned to throughout. But she barely shows up on page at all, and I want to know more of what she's like! From what little we see, I really liked her!
Plus, do I believe that a 16 year old girl who has had a VERY exciting time of it of late and has gone through a bunch of real big life transitions would transfer her affections from her best friend she's been pining over forever to the girl who was the focus of the adventure and who got to see Rose being cool and badass and admiring her for it? Absolutely, but something about how, after barely knowing her, she sees in Essie's eyes what Dinah must have seen in Saul's (and then forgives Dinah easily as a result) doesn't quite sit right. Idk maybe this is me being too aro again! But she knew and loved Dinah very specifically as a person in her life, and she barely knows Essie at all. This is too fast!! Anyway more of Actual Essie would probably have helped with this too.
At any rate, thank you Becca for the rec because this was a GREAT read.
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