The Matchmaker's Gift

The Matchmaker’s Gift, by Lynda Cohen Loigman, tells the story of a grandmother and granddaughter who share a special ability.

I’ve really enjoyed Lynda Cohen Loigman’s other novels, The Wartime Sisters and The Two-Family House. The Two-Family House is a warm, complicated, character-driven family story that hinges on a wild coincidence. I loved the book and recommend it, but readers really do have to just roll with one unrealistic event. Here in The Matchmaker’s Gift, there’s a magical realism element instead, with the character-driven family novel, which somehow makes it all easier to accept. Sara, and her granddaughter Abby, can both see a special golden light connecting true love.

There are two storylines in this novel. One show more is a historical story of Sara Glikman, a new immigrant to New York City with a supernatural gift for matchmaking. Sometimes these pairings are romance-novel perfection, like getting her sad sister to borrow a handkerchief from her future brother-in-law, and starting their long and happy marriage. But sometimes it’s comical, when she notices that the heirs of two rival deli are soulmates, or stressful, like discovering her boyfriend is very much meant for someone else. Sara’s storyline blends her supernatural power with the struggles of the family restarting their life in a new country.

Matchmaking is the usual way to meet a spouse in the Glikmans’ Jewish community, but unfortunately for Sara, the existing matchmakers aren’t too pleased with some else taking their job and their profits. I guess my picture of a Jewish matchmaker was the neighborhood yenta, with many single nieces and nephews to introduce to other single nephews and nieces from other good families, like some of the scenes in Last Summer at The Golden Hotel. Instead, these are old-school, old-country matchmakers, mostly men. This blend of Sara’s magical abilities, plus the customs and struggles of her Jewish New York life makes such a great story. There are so many historical meet-cutes, thanks to Sara.

The second storyline is about Sara’s granddaughter, Abby. It’s not quite modern-day, the Manhattan divorce lawyer storyline really feels like a half-remembered 80s movie. After her grandmother’s death, Abby begins to read her grandmother’s old journals and finds notes and comments about the couples Sara brought together. As she reads (and grieves for her grandmother, in realistic and moving scenes), Abby begins to notice the same kind of golden light, with similar unintended consequences in her own life. As a busy divorce lawyer, it’s particularly stressful to see clearly who really should be together.

I don’t always love dual timeline novels because they can be jumpy, but in this case, I felt like I was reading two very solid, compelling novels. They’re two wildly different stories, one about bringing the old-country customs to New York, and one eighties romcom, tied together by family.

There’s an exploration into the not-perfect matches in both timelines. I think most of us have a perfectly nice ex or two — someone who was a good person, but just not quite right. The novel explores a few different relationships between good people who genuinely like each other, but who just aren’t meant to be. I found this touching and realistic.

And this paragraph is a mild spoiler, because this part comes pretty far along in the story, but I don’t think it destroys any tension to share it. Later in life, Sara’s special observation also highlights women in unsafe marriages. Again, there’s a magical realism here with the practical realities of getting women to safety, and again, we see the connections of the community. This continues to add depth and complexity to our characters.

Overall, I enjoyed this book so much. It was an incredibly fast read for me because I just couldn’t wait to see what kind of true love and/or disasters their golden light would bring about next! And I also wanted to read slowly to have more time with Sara and Abby. show less

**Received as an ARC from the publisher
Maybe it’s time to admit that we actually rather enjoy contemporary almost-romance novels… Maybe not the ones that are marketed as straight up chick lit, but the ones that have a distinct romantic twist alongside the rest of the storyline – give me Chocolat, anything by Alice Hoffman, Crazy Rich Asians, and apparently we’re hooked. This novel is definitely marketed on the side of romance (hello, the title is a bit of a giveaway), but I found myself caught up in the dual storyline which spans 1910s and early 1990s New York. I’m always a fan of historical fiction that brings a specific era to light through intriguing characters, and Loigman definitely does that with Sara Glikman, a young show more Jewish girl who discovers that she has a supernatural talent for matchmaking. This facet of the Jewish community (even one that was modernising) is fascinating and definitely gave this novel a unique flavour that heightened the drama but weighted the story with a sense of realism. Sara’s talent may have had a magical inkling that tends towards a bit of whimsy, but as the novel develops we are fully immersed in strong themes about relationships and families. Sara’s granddaughter, Abby, also provides a staunch counter storyline – one defined by her hardworking attitude and reticent ideas about marriage. As the two women’s storylines are woven together we see them each come into their own (Sara learning tough lessons about making her way in her chosen profession, and Abby learning that romance is not in fact dead), and by the final pages we’re left with a neatly wrapped up tale. This book may come off as a bit cheesy at a few points, but it’s a surprisingly solid read that I’m glad I gave a chance to! show less

“The one that is meant for you tastes the salt of your tears.” Can that be true? The Matchmaker’s Gift is an engaging, sweet, whimsical story of a grandmother and granddaughter who share an amazing gift. A gift that one embraces and appreciates and one disbelieves and thinks is frankly ridiculous. Their gift: matchmaking. And not just looking for common interests or “proper” matches, but a real, special gift where they can literally see when two people are soulmates.

As you might expect, this kind of gift often meets with skepticism and resistance. For Sara, an immigrant who first discovers her gift in 1910, the official matchmakers of her time and culture think she is a fake, an interloper, and worst of all a girl, trying to show more push her way in where she is not wanted and does not belong. Sara perseveres but at great cost to herself and her family. And in matters of her own heart, being a matchmaker for yourself can be tricky.

Sara’s granddaughter Abby first really learns and thinks about this matchmaking thing when in 1994 she inherits a collection of journals recording the details of Sara’s matches. Interesting reading, but this stuff isn’t real, is it? Why on earth would Sara think Abby has use for them? And as for matters of Abby’s heart, she’s not even sure she believes in soulmates.

But Abby is drawn to the journals and begins to see some people in a different light. Is that the gift? Not possible, is it? And why is Abby suddenly doubtful about the career she has chosen as a divorce lawyer? Her boss is not happy when Abby starts counseling her clients, trying to keep them together because she suddenly “feels” that’s how it should be. Abby’s job is to get the best settlement for her client. The divorces must happen.

Sara’s life is intricately drawn, vividly describing the mores and rules of her era, her culture, her religion, her neighborhood. Each chapter leaves you on the edge of your seat wondering what will happen to Sara next and how she will respond. But being transported to 1994 and Abby’s very different life is also exciting. She has emotional scars and wariness from her parent’s harmful relationship. Her job is demanding and less and less satisfying as time goes on, and her love life isn’t setting off any fireworks.

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press for providing an advance copy of The Matchmaker’s Gift via NetGalley for my reading pleasure and honest review. Lynda Cohen Loigman is an author whose work I have previously enjoyed and she does not disappoint this time. I recommend this book without hesitation, and all opinions are my own. show less

Right book, right time. This is a light, lovely story - smoothly narrated with characters to care about. It switches between early 1900s in NYC, with Sara Glikman, a young Jewish immigrant and 1994, with Abby Silverman, her granddaughter, a young divorce attorney. Sara has the gift of match-making, a supernatural ability to see golden light between people who are meant to be together as 'bashert' or soulmates, starting with her older sister. However, since she is only 10, and since matchmaking was a male, money-making business, Sara cannot pursue this or make it publicly known. With the help of sympathetic Rabbi Sheinkopf, she surreptitiously makes matches among people in her neighborhood, receiving no payment, until she goes public in show more her 20s due to her family's dire need for money. The local 'shadchanim' (male matchmakers) have suspected her and harassed her all this time, and now openly oppose her in the synagogue, but Sara is a woman of moxie and determination with love on her side. She and Abby have a very close relationship, and when Sara dies in 1994, Abby inherits all her journals and ledgers that recount all her successful matches. In her grief for her grandmother, Abby starts to second-guess her occupation which she had chosen due to her own parents' unfair, acrimonious divorce when she was young. Instead of helping couples get divorced or sign pre-nups, she is helping them stay together or break engagements, much to her boss Diane's outrage. Abby is also determined and begins to trust in her grandmother's legacy: "I see what I see and I know what I know." (7) and also her advice: "...it isn't enough to fight against cruelty...Fight for something, not just against...And if you can't decide what you want to fight for, love is as good a cause as any." (246) Abby must decide if she will follow in her footsteps as a modern-day 'shadchanteh' or play it safe in her current career. I loved the relationship between Sara and Abby and some of her folksy wisdom: 'Love is a light in the dark. These stories are proof of love. And proof of love is proof of life.' (244) 'The heart is big enough to hold both grief and love.' (23) and 'A drop of love sometimes brings an ocean of tears.' (147) The author's note on the story's origin and her research is fascinating too. show less

"Every match she made was a candle in the darkness, a beam of hope after an endless eclipse."

In pre-World War New York, Sara realizes she has a special gift. When two people are supposed to be together, she sees a golden strand between them, and her love matches always work out. But not everyone appreciates her gift, including sometimes even Sara herself.

This book is told in a split timeline, following a young Sara getting her start and her granddaughter Abby, a divorce attorney who may have inherited her grandmother's gift. This book got a slower start, taking a long time to build to the real drama. Sara, who is Jewish, faces off with the neighborhood matchmakers - or shadchan - who object to a female, unmarried matchmaker. She show more operates quietly for a while, but is finally hauled before a rabbinical court to defend herself. Meanwhile, in another time, Abby's dealing with her beloved grandmother Sara's death by going through the journals she left her, which are a record of the matches she made. But when Abby begins to sense that one of her divorce clients should not be getting divorced and another couple whose prenuptial paperwork she's working on isn't right for each other, her eventual interference lands her in trouble at work.

But the biggest drama happens when Abby and Sara each sense that a man they are dating may be right for another.

Sara's fierce, feminist and fights for the right to use her gift, provide for her family and pursue happiness. She spends her life helping others be happier, even as her gift ebbs and flows over the years. Abby's conflicted, grief-stricken and questioning how much her parents' divorce affected her. Each uses her gift for good while striving for her own happiness.

This is a cozy, feel-good historical fiction novel perfect for someone who doesn't mind a slower pace of storytelling.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. show less

This was a sweet book which I enjoyed - beginning with the charming cover art to the last page of the author’s note. Alternating between the early 1900s of Sara Glickman and 1994 with her granddaughter Abby, the novel tells Sara’s story starting with her arrival from the Old Country to New York’s Lower East Side as a 10-year-old in 1910. What makes it engaging is how the story alternates between Sara’s past and Abby’s present, through Abby’s memories and the journals Sara has left behind for Abby. The notebooks are documentation of Sara’s success as a matchmaker and help Abby to understand the gift she has inherited.

I enjoyed the authenticity of Grandma Sara, and her special relationship with Abby, who as an adult becomes show more a divorce attorney. Author Lynda Cohen Loigman recreates Sara’s genuine personality with the same Yiddish words and phrases my grandmother used. This gave the book a touching dimension that made it realistic even with the magical realism of the matchmaking.

Well-written and expertly plotted, I enjoyed the ups and downs of both Sara’s and Abby’s lives as they employed the skill they were given. Sara understood at an early age that she was blessed with a gift. She often told people, “I saw what I saw, and I knew what I knew.” As Abby comes to realize, Grandma Sara’s “matches bound one soul perfectly to another. Her matches were made of light and love.”

This was a feel-good novel, both familiar and magical, and a good choice when you want something warm and fuzzy. show less

When starting this book, I knew nothing of the Jewish religion, matchmakers, or the way of life in early 1900 New York. Now I feel as though I've walked in the shoes of a young Jewish woman in 1910 and again those of her granddaughter in the 1990's. I learned the challenges and fears of both girls as they tried to follow their hearts and grow into successful women in a 'man's" New York. I felt their frustrations as they tried to make decisions that were right for themselves as well as their families. I loved feeling the relationship between the grandmother and granddaughter, the good and the sad. I am happy to report that I was able to read through this book without being waylaid by grammatical or other errors. The entire book flowed show more beautifully from one scene to the next, one era to the next, beginning to end. I could not put it down. The only problem I'm having with this book is that I wanted to read more. There's more to this story and I hope the author picks up where she left off and brings us to hiding or explaining "paranormal" life in the 2000's. I highly recommend this book.

I was given this book to read in exchange for my honest review. show less