Book review: The Matchmaker's Gift

On bookstagram (niche focused Instagram accounts), I started noticing this beautiful cover popping up here and there. There’s a saying that you should never judge a cover… but I did! And the book turned out to be one of my most favorite reads of this year!

Synopsis:

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?

Review:

The Matchmaker’s Gift was a beautiful historical fiction read about Jewish matchmaking! Being in an interfaith household that celebrates Judaism, I always will pick up books with Jewish people/culture. I really enjoyed the dual narrative between the matchmaker grandma and her granddaughter who is a divorce lawyer. It was a fast paced book, but thoughtful read. I’m impressed with how the author really did her research, I particularly enjoyed reading about Jewish Americans in NYC during early 1900’s. A sweet, magical and fun read!

The Matchmaker’s Gift will be released on September 20th.

Thank you St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the advanced copy. All opinions are my own.