When the Angels Left the Old Country

Like a modern Sholem Aleichem, carrying on in the rich tradition of Yiddish novels that are deeply engrained in Jewish diaspora life without necessarily a religious point of view. Similarly to classic Yiddish novels, this one also has a strong Labor-rights and immigrant rights focus. I just found this book downright fun without much else to say about it. I really enjoyed Little Ash and the angel, although I didn't love the sideplot about the angel becoming more mortal, and I also wish that some of the restrictions and supernatural elements about the angel would have been protected throughout the novel, instead of it learning to speak all languages. I felt a little funny at the inversion of Aramaic being the one language angels don't know to it being the only language the angel spoke, but this also seems accurate, in that no one else speaks Aramaic anymore. But, anyway, overall the world needs more Yiddish literature revival, even if it's in English (but I would pay a lot of money to have a copy of this translated into Yiddish.)

4.5 rounded up; a little adventure about an angel and a demon who go off onto a journey to find someone, and they end up in a whirlwind of events in America. I can see how people compare this to [b:Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch 12067 Good Omens The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch Terry Pratchett https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1615552073l/12067.SY75.jpg 4110990], and it sort of is, but a little more fast pace and consistently on the main plot and set of characters. It was a nice read with different languages and revolving around Jewish religion/culture, so that was cool to learn too!

Unconventionally charming. I love the concept and the execution was soft, gentle. Plot-wise, it's fairly predictable but the characters are not. Definitely will be reading Lamb's future efforts.

A unique American Jewish immigrant story by debut queer novelist Sacha Lamb. The resident angel and demon of a small Russian Jewish shtetl embark upon a journey to the “Golden Land” to find Essie, the baker's daughter with rosy dreams of thriving in America, whose communication has abruptly stopped. Along the way, these supernatural study partners join forces with Rose Cohen, a young, strong-willed woman who is heartbroken that her best friend Dinah is getting married instead of emigrating with her.

The trio's adventures take them to Warsaw, the steerage class quarters of a New York-bound steamship, Ellis Island, and finally their destination. The search for Essie becomes entwined with a quintessential story about sweatshop labor and factory strikes. But in addition to dangerous factory owners and mob bosses, our heroes also have to contend with several malicious dybbuks, or spirits of the dead. And Uriel and Little Ash struggle internally with the long-term implications of maintaining their human disguises on their essence and their relationship.

The plot sounds fairly mundane for anyone whose ancestors traveled the same path to America, but it is elevated to the sublime by Little Ash the mischievous demon and Uriel the loyal angel. Little Ash lives to argue with Uriel, while the angel claims to stick around solely to keep Little Ash from causing too much trouble. Their character growth and the complex dynamics of their relationship provide most of the book's emotional impact. Rose's dawning awareness of her own queerness is rarely an explicit part of an immigrant story so it's a refreshing change to see her get a romantic HEA.

While the book is being marketed as Young Adult (Rose and Essie are both teenagers), I believe it can be appreciated by readers of any age (or any religion - it includes a glossary of terms for those not familiar with Hebrew or Yiddish). I opened the book late yesterday morning and finished it before bedtime; it's one of those hypnotic stories that ensnare the reader so completely so that you don't want to break the spell until the final page.

This absolutely deserves all the awards it has won. It also deserves to be read slowly so that you can fully experience it. The relationship between Little Ash and Uriel is perfect and I loved seeing them both grow. A must read!

I thought this was really lovely! As a goy I did kind of wish for a little more backmatter or footnotes to explain some terms (esp as a YA title) but I think I did OK from googling on my phone + context clues.

I saw reviews comparing it to Good Omens which on one hand I get but on the other I think it does this a disservice, because it's not as funny as Good Omens but it's going for more of like a fable vibe.

⭐⭐⭐ – Love the cover on this one!

This was an...interesting read. I liked it. Didn't love it. It was definitely different and quirky. That said as someone who knows next to nothing about Judaism, I felt like I spent half the book confused and looking up definitions for words.