A review by cjm118
The Matchmaker's Gift by Lynda Cohen Loigman

adventurous emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

I absolutely adored this book. The Matchmaker’s Gift is a beautifully written historical fiction that tells the tales of grandmother and granddaughter coming to terms with a magical gift of being matchmakers, learning to fight for love, and perhaps even what it means to lead a meaningful life. 

The novel shifts between Sara’s experience growing up as an immigrant child in New York during the early 20th century, to Abby’s life decades later in the same city. I loved how so much of their stories were interconnected and paralleled,, and how wonderfully the Lower East Side was brought to life off of the pages. 

Both characters were wonderfully crafted and fleshed out, especially against the backdrop of their respective decades. For Sara, her Jewish roots informed so many aspects of her life, and eventually her life’s purpose. I loved that this story was a window into Jewish culture and traditions, with bits of Yiddish sprinkled throughout. 

Beyond coming to terms with their matchmaking gifts, Sara and Abby are also united by the challenges they face of being a woman in a man’s  arena. Sara’s experiences as a matchmaker as well as Abby’s experiences in her legal profession are a microcosm of the misogyny engrained in so much of our society and it’s traditions. Both of them learn to empower themselves and blend the best of the old tradition with then new.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for the chance to read an advanced copy.