by Sacha Lamb
First published 2022
Uriel the angel and Little Ash the demon have spent centuries studying together in their nameless shtetl. When young people flee pogroms for America, one emigrant disappears without a trace. The supernatural pair sets out to find her, crossing an ocean to reach the New World. Their journey leads them through Ellis Island's medical examinations and into a harsh urban landscape where gold paved streets exist only in dreams. Along the way they help Rose Cohen, whose beloved friend has left her to marry a man, and Malke Shulman, whose father died under mysterious circumstances during his own voyage to America. Corrupt officials and violent mob bosses control the streets. Poverty and murder lurk around every corner. As Uriel and Little Ash navigate this dangerous world, they discover that love can transform and survive even the greatest upheavals. Their search becomes a test of identity, purpose, and the bonds that hold two very different beings together across centuries and continents.
Genres: romance, literary-fiction, historical-fiction, fantasy
Vibes: atmospheric, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, found-family
Setting: America, Ellis Island, New World
Period: 19th-century, 20th-century
400 pages · ebook · Levine Querido