soc_puppet: Dreamsheep as Lumpy Space Princess from Adventure Time (Default)
[personal profile] soc_puppet posting in [community profile] queerly_beloved
Hello again, and welcome to Thursday Recs!

Today, I'm very excited to rec "When the Angels Left the Old Country" by Sacha Lamb. Summary via Amazon:

In publishing-speak, here's what we at the LQ office sometimes describe as the Queer lovechild of Sholem Aleichem and Philip Roth: 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.

With cinematic sweep and tender observation, Sacha Lamb presents a totally original drama about individual purpose, the fluid nature of identity, and the power of love to change and endure.

This is a lovely book Uriel uses it/its pronouns and might identify as agender, if it knew or cared about the option. There's also a f/f side plot sort of thing going on with Rose Cohen. I was reminded somewhat of Good Omens, but mostly in a "an angel and a 'demon' are very close friends and might be in a queerplatonic relationship" sense; the plot itself is very dissimilar.

Anyway, I very much recommend it! Lots of Jewish culture stuff (mostly Ashkenazi, I'm pretty sure), and overall a lovely read. Or listen! I listened to the audiobook, which was quite helpful to me as a gentile with pronunciation stuff.


Do you have a rec for this week? Just reply to this post with something queer or queer-adjacent (such as, soap made by a queer person that isn't necessarily queer themed) that you'd, well, recommend. Self-recs are welcome, as are recs for fandom-related content!

Or have you tried something that's been recced here? Do you have your own report to share about it? I'd love to hear about it!

Date: 2023-01-27 03:37 pm (UTC)
redsixwing: A red knotwork emblem. (Default)
From: [personal profile] redsixwing
That sounds like a fun read!

Unrelated, but may I recommend Archer Inventive on Etsy? Home of the Pride Knights, and a major inspiration to me as I take up leatherwork.

Date: 2023-01-29 08:23 am (UTC)
facethestrange: (anne: spring)
From: [personal profile] facethestrange
I'm loving the aesthetics of this - the rainbow bag, the mushroom lamps! Thank you for the rec! :) ♡

Date: 2023-01-29 08:20 am (UTC)
facethestrange: (star trek: snw: la'an is impressed)
From: [personal profile] facethestrange
This book sounds GOOD, I'm bookmarking it for later, thank you for the rec! ♡♡♡

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