When the Angels Left the Old Country

This historical fantasy absolutely charmed me from start to finish! Unapologetically queer and steeped in Jewish history and culture, the story follows Uriel the angel and Ashmedai (a.k.a. Little Ash), the demon, who've been meeting up for centuries to study the Talmud in a tiny shtetl in turn-of-the-century Poland.

When a young woman who recently left for New York fails to write back to her family as promised, the pair decide to journey to America to support their community—or, in Little Ash's case, explore new avenues of mischief. I adored Lamb's exploration of Uriel and Little Ash's inherent genderqueerness as… show more.

I’ve been yelling about this book once a week since I finished it, and I may as well use this opportunity to yell one more time!

In a nutshell, When the Angels Left the Old Country is Good Omens meets An American Tail. An angel and a small-time demon set out to rescue one of the missing young people from their village of Shtetl, which quickly transforms into an immigrant adventure that winds through the streets of Warsaw, the gates of Ellis Island, and the tenements and factories of New York.

Supernatural elements aside, the most magical part for me… show more.

I love everything about this book: the writing, the story, and the characters.

The audiobook narrator, Donald Corren, is phenomenal; it’s hard to believe that one person can voice so many varied characters. There is terrific queer and gender representation. There are many fascinating examples of Jewish customs and folklore that add to the rich storytelling that is at times historical, and other times fantastical. Brilliant!