I have been a fan of Lynda Cohen Loigman’s books for several years. I was looking forward to The Matchmaker’s Gift and it did not disappoint. Loigman writes historical fiction centering around the Jewish immigrant community in New York City. Her books are well researched and she captures their experiences very well.
The book is set in two time periods. In 1994 Abby is a divorce attorney working for a very demanding boss. She is mourning her grandmother, Sara, who helped raise her and her sister when her parents divorced. She has enjoyed her grandmother’s stories of her life as a matchmaker when Sara first came to New York.
The other time period, starts in 1910 as Sara learns that she has a special matchmaker gift. We see Sara’s life unfold and Abby learn about her grandmother’s life through journals that she inherited.
Some of the charm of the book is in the use of Yiddish words and expressions. Each historic chapter starts with a great old Yiddish expression. Things like “Trust One Eye More Than Two Ears”, “Some of the Best Shoemakers go Barefoot”, “When a Thief Kisses You, Count your Teeth”, and “There’s a Lid for Every Pot”.
The book has some romance for a historical fiction novel (how could it not, being centered around a matchmaker). The plot is well thought out, not as predictable as your typical historical fiction. The characters are well drawn, not stereotypes. You will be rooting for both Abby and Sara as they sort out what they want from their lives.