Of Epilogues & Sequels

There are a lot of books that pull us into their world, and when they end, we wish there was a sequel.  Or something more. We long to know what happened next.

One example is the Harry Potter series. Seven books later, and the internet still breaks every time J.K. Rowling gives us another little snippet from that world. Or Erin Morgenstern‘s Night Circus – where is the circus now? Whatever happened to Celia and Marco?

One book that’s been haunting me recently is Helene Wecker’s The Golem and the Djinni. This is my epilogue to the story.

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven’t read the book yet, you may not want to read the rest of this post!

After handing over Ibn-malik’s flask to his fellow djinis in Syria, Ahmed returns to the desert, to the spot where he had built his castle. As he looks upon the crumbling edifice, he reflects on his past mistakes, on his long imprisonment, and on his stay in New York. But burning at the back of his mind is the golem.

Back in New York, Chavva and Anna get together and open a bakery and cafe. Years pass by – Anna’s child is now grown up, the cafe has blossomed into a small oasis of peace and beauty in the bustling heart of New York. Meanwhile, Chavva waits, patiently, for Ahmed – she’s sure he will return once he has forgiven himself. She can wait for an eternity.

And finally, years later, after Ahmed cannot stay away from the golem any more, he returns to New York, where he gets together with Arbeely to undertake fine, commissioned metalwork projects. But as they will never age, every couple of decades they settle down in a different city, a different country. Who knows where they may be today? Perhaps that delectable, freshly baked salted caramel muffin is Chavva’s creation. Maybe that gorgeous filigree gate or delightful little intricate animal is Ahmed’s creation. They could be living among us – hidden in plain sight. Or maybe the Djini has taken the Golem back to his land, and they both are spending their days in Ahmed’s fascinating castle in the Syrian desert.

If you loved the book as much as I did, you’d be delighted to know that there’s going to a sequel! Squee!! But we have a long wait ahead, because it will only be out in 2018!