An angel named Uriel and a lesser demon named Ash live in a Warsaw shtetl on the decline; many of its residents are fleeing to America to avoid persecution and find a better life. The pair spend their time studying the Talmud in their local synagogue, but Ash longs to see the world outside their shtetl. When Ash doesn't hear from his friend Essie, who has emigrated to America, he convinces Uriel to join him on an overseas trip to find her. Together, they encounter other individuals who need their help, and they discover that the promise of America is filled with prejudice and hardship, but is not completely without hope.

"This is an Arthur A. Levine book"--Title page verso.