The Matchmaker's Gift Review

by Lynda Cohen Loigman

Rating: 5/5

Is finding true love a calling or a curse?

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?

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Oh my goodness! This was freaking adorable. I couldn’t put this one down!

I truly adore historical fictions that feature a matchmaker aspect, but this was such a different type than what I’ve previously read. The ones I’ve read prior often occurred during the fashionable society era, and it was more known to be a lady’s profession.

This one takes place in the 1910s and goes through the 1990s. We flip between a grandmother, Sara and her granddaughter, Abby in New York. We bounce between Abby dealing with the grief of her grandmother’s passing. And the years of Sara growing up in New York after coming to America with her family and struggling to want to be a matchmaker when it’s not considered right for such a young girl especially an unwed one to be a matchmaker in the Jewish community.

I hadn’t really heard much of shadchanteh or matchmaker’s in Jewish culture. I mean, I knew about arranged marriages back then but not so much in the 1900s especially. And it just never occurred to me that there would be people, mostly men considered professionals at arranging these marriages. So this was interesting to learn more about. And then the trouble Sara faced growing up when she just wanted to help people find love was heartbreaking to see. But I was happy to see the future that awaited her.

Not only did I love Sara, but I also adored Abby. I felt for her as we learn about her story and how she wanted to become a lawyer to help those like her mom who go through a terrible divorce. And then the journey she ends up going on in the aftermath of her grandmother’s passing was so incredibly endearing.

The whole premise around the matchmaking was just so cute and sweet. I practically devoured this book. I couldn’t get enough of the matches Sara made throughout her life. And how she was certain that Abby possessed the same affinity for knowing people’s true loves as her. I just loved Sara! She definitely was giving me vibes of the mother in Disney’s Elemental, how she was so attuned to seeing people’s true love. 

This has easily become a favorite! If you enjoy historical fictions set around Jewish culture and matchmaking, I highly recommend picking this one up!