Reading Diary: When the Angels Left the Old Country by Sacha Lamb

I've seen bits of this story for a few years now since I'm friends with a few people who know the author, so I was thrilled to order it when it came out this fall. It took me a little bit of time to get up the energy to read it, however, but I started it last Saturday and polished it off this morning.

Here is a synopsis from the publisher's website:

Uriel the angel and Little Ash (short for Ashmedai) are the only two supernatural creatures in their shtetl (which is so tiny, it doesn't have a name other than Shtetl). The angel and the demon have been studying together for centuries, but pogroms and the search for a new life have drawn all the young people from their village to America. When one of those young emigrants goes missing, Uriel and Little Ash set off to find her.


Along the way the angel and demon encounter humans in need of their help, including Rose Cohen, whose best friend (and the love of her life) has abandoned her to marry a man, and Malke Shulman, whose father died mysteriously on his way to America. But there are obstacles ahead of them as difficult as what they’ve left behind. Medical exams (and demons) at Ellis Island. Corrupt officials, cruel mob bosses, murderers, poverty. The streets are far from paved with gold.

The tag from the publisher reads, "For fans of “Good Omens”—a queer immigrant fairytale about individual purpose, the fluid nature of identity, and the power of love to change and endure." And I really couldn't sum it up better myself. Despite some very horrible things that happen to the characters, this story is ultimately so kind and soft -- even with murder -- and hopeful. From the first page, I wanted to wrap up Little Ash and Uriel and give them soup -- they activated my Auntie Senses right away. This story was gripping and some truly awful things happen, but the catharsis at the end is so beautiful. I highly recommend this novel.