In a small shtetl, an angel and a demon sit together in the back of a synagogue. The shtetl is simply known to locals as Shtetl and has no other name. The demon, Ashmedai, is named after his father, but he is more of a sprite and does not have the fully recognized demonic magic and wings. He is called Little Ash.

Unlike Little Ash, the angel does not identify with any gender but presents itself as a boy. Its name changes to match what it is doing or feeling at any given moment. The angel is guided by angelic senses and is only able to concentrate on whatever calls to it from the universe. The mystical identities of both angel and demon shield their more outlandish qualities from human perception; people cannot perceive Little Ash’s birdlike feet or the angel’s hooves. The two often argue, and they are now sparring over Little Ash’s suggestion that they follow the youth of Shtetl to America. Suddenly, Samuel the Baker arrives and states that he has not heard from his daughter, Essie, in quite some time. She left for America, but the last letter she sent was from Warsaw.