Goodreads says, "Even as a child in 1910, Sara Glikman knows her gift: she is a maker of matches and a seeker of soulmates. But among the pushcart-crowded streets of New York’s Lower East Side, Sara’s vocation is dominated by devout older men—men who see a talented female matchmaker as a dangerous threat to their traditions and livelihood. After making matches in secret for more than a decade, Sara must fight to take her rightful place among her peers, and to demand the recognition she deserves. Two generations later, Sara’s granddaughter, Abby, is a successful Manhattan divorce attorney, representing the city’s wealthiest clients. When her beloved Grandma Sara dies, Abby inherits her collection of handwritten journals recording the details of Sara’s matches. But among the faded volumes, Abby finds more questions than answers. Why did Abby’s grandmother leave this library to her and what did she hope Abby would discover within its pages? Why does the work Abby once found so compelling suddenly feel inconsequential and flawed? Is Abby willing to sacrifice the career she’s worked so hard for in order to keep her grandmother’s mysterious promise to a stranger? And is there really such a thing as love at first sight?"
It's the 1920s and Sara Glickman lives in New York City. Times are tough, but Sara has something that sets her apart. She has a gift. Sara is a matchmaker and can find your soulmate in a rather magical way. This is definitely one way Sara could help keep her family afloat, but the older men and "official" matchmakers are threatened by her very existence. A single woman as a matchmaker? Cue the horror! The Jewish community won't let her practice her talents, which puts Sara in a predicament. Fast forward to 1994, Sara's granddaughter, Abby, is a divorce attorney. Her grandmother, Sara, has passed on and left her some journals. As Abby reads them, she realizes that she too may have inherited this magical gift of finding soulmates. This is a problem as Abby is a practicing divorce attorney, the very opposite of what she should be doing. As she tries to use some of her talents at work, you could imagine this puts her in a tough spot with her boss. What will Sara and Abby do? Follow their hearts against all odds or continue to tow the line? Lynda Cohen Loigman's The Matchmaker's Gift is a charming historical read that warmed my heart.
I really enjoyed the character of Sara from the beginning of The Matchmaker's Gift. I thought Loigman did a great job with the historical details and bringing the bustling streets of 1920s Lower East Side to life. Learning how the Jewish community operated then, and learning more about their traditions was extremely interesting. Sara's difficulty in entering the matchmaking community reminded me a bit of a plot line in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel when Rose encounters the same difficulty. I adore that TV show, so this connection was a delight. I also liked how a lot of what Sara is going though, her granddaughter, Abby, goes through the same type of thing many years later.
Abby is a divorce attorney in The Matchmaker's Gift, but after reading her grandmother's journals, she realizes she has the same gift. This clearly puts her in a tough spot. Also, she is very unhappy with her job, her boss is rude and demanding, so I was hoping Abby could find her way out of it. The Matchmaker's Gift is a dual timeline novel and while I liked Abby overall, I found myself gravitating towards Sara's plot line a bit more.
Overall, Loigman does a great job bringing these two women's stories together and readers who appreciate stories about families will enjoy this novel for sure. Sometime you just need a heartwarming and charming read that transports you to a different time and place and this is it! The touch of magical realism was done well, so because of that, The Matchmaker's Gift is a wonderful book to read this fall.
Are you a fan of Loigman? Have you read her other novels? Is this book on your TBR list? Let me know in the comments below.
A divorce attorney who is also a matchmaker - how fun! I love magical realism.
ReplyDeleteRight?! It was such a charming read. Thanks for dropping by, Angela.
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