I meant to read a chapter over lunch, and the next thing I knew the sun was going down, no dinner had been prepared, the dog was pawing me for a walk, and the work I'd promised myself to dive into was still sitting on my desk. But I could not pull my head out of the Jewish section of early twentieth century New York.

Such a graceful, exuberant, lovely book, so much more than the sum of its parts. There are times when I, being someone who has been pretty much reading a book a day since I was eight, so that would be over sixty years, have enjoyed a book but thought it could have been somewhat shorter. Not here. If this author had added another hundred pages, I think the story would have been that much greater.

What we have are parallel stories, Abby, a somewhat hard-bitten (she has reason) divorce lawyer, and her grandmother, Sara, recently died. Sara has left her notebooks to Abby, who knew her grandmother had been a kind of matchmaker, but until she begins reading the notebooks, had not realized the extent of it.

We get tantalizing references to love stories in Abby's timeline, then we slide back to Sara's day, and learn how she made her first match at the tender age of ten, aided by a beautifully written touch of otherworldliness.

Abby, too, feels that strange touch, and doesn't trust it, or know what to do with it. She works very hard, for a boss she respects, who does not have time or patience for blather about soulmates or romance; she ends up having to hide her burgeoning empathy and her sense of how to navigate through the shoals of life toward happiness.

Not that Sara had it easy, either. She gets hauled before a religious court, which was a very serious matter, as the synagogue was the center of Jewish life for those desperately poor immigrants who were trying to make sense of a radical change in their lives.

The book is written with such grace, and sympathy, and warmth, with flashes of humor as well as pathos; when we get to more modern times, the stories diminish to summaries and I longed to have them fleshed out as were the early tales. It's one of those books I would have cheerfully kept reading and reading and reading. Impeccably researched, the book evokes the New York of a hundred years ago, then brings us to the present, and leaves us with a changed Abby, and the sense of earned peace that I get from reading a Jane Austen novel.

This is such a captivating , exhilarating, feelgood, heart warming and also magical historical fiction with loveliest characters.

This book starts at the beginning of 20th century and Sara Glikman could be considered as the first woman matchmaker of the history: because only men could practice this sacred and important mission and a woman’s attempt to matchmake has been considered as sacrilegious act at those times!

We luckily move back and forth between two timelines: early 1900’s and 1994: introducing us Sara’s granddaughter Abby, a successful divorce attorney, representing the city’s wealthiest clients at young age.

I loved both of these powerful and brave women’s journeys and magic they created by listening to their hearts and doing the right thing!

This is a captivating dual timeline story; Sara had a gift for matchmaking, and she thinks her granddaughter Abby may have the same gift. The story follows both women as they see people that are right for each other and make the matches. Both face obstacles and overcome them. There is some interesting history as well. #bookstagram #thematchmakersgift #lyndacohenloigman

At first this book took me a bit to get into, but once I got into it I couldn't put it down. I loved learning about Sara and the many hardships she over came. She stood up to many men when women at that time didn’t have a say. Abby really grew during the book. She learned to stand up for herself to her boss, nudge her clients to take a look at their relationships. I really enjoyed this books and the two women’s stories.

This delightful story is about a young Jewish girl, Sara Glikman, who at the age of ten was able to see a perfect love match between two adults. This historical fiction story is based on true facts about Jewish culture and professional matchmakers. There are two time lines here. Sara grew up in Manhattan in the early 1900’s in poverty and under duress due to her unique abilities and also the infringement on the male matchmaker’s market. The other time line follows her granddaughter who seems to have inherited this unusual ability. The book is heartwarming and a lovely story.

Abby is an overworked, stressed out divorce attorney with a demanding boss. She chose her profession because of her parents’ nasty divorce. Abby wants to make certain her clients are treated fairly. Her boss only looks at the dollar signs of protracted litigation. Abby’s beloved grandmother,Sara, was a renowned Jewish matchmaker in their community. She always made certain she brought together couples who would fall in love. Abby starts to realize that divorces have a personal side,too. In helping her clients, she begins to understand the lessons Sara was teaching her through her matchmaking stories.

What a wonderfully written story weaving the past and the present.together like a beautiful sweater. Old country meets a more modern world. This is a story of matchmaking in the Jewish traditions and the discovery of one’s history. The story is so well written you cannot put this one down until the very end. Thank you so much to the publisher for my requested ARC in exchange for my own honest review.

I adored The Matchmaker's Gift. Told from the dual perspectives of Sara, a Jewish matchmaker in early 1900s NYC ,and her granddaughter Abby, a divorce lawyer, it is the type of escapist novel the world needs right now -with a touch of magic, incredibly well drawn characters, fascinating historical details and two protagonists that you root for from the very first page. It's a beautiful, whimsical story of family and love and finding your place in the world. I loved it!

Review-The Matchmakers Gift by Lynda Cohen Loigman

This delightful story follows a dual timeline. Sara is a ten-year-old in 1910 and she has a special gift for matchmaking that begins with her sister in an unusual way. Sara’s granddaughter, Abby, is a New York City divorce attorney in a prestigious firm with a difficult, female boss. Sara’s story unfolds after she passes, leaving Abby heartbroken, because of their close bond. Sara leaves Abby her journals of matches she has made over the years. As Abby reads the journals her own relationships with clients take a different turn. The author has a unique way of expressing the special affection and bonds of love which help Abby in her business and personal life.

The Matchmakers Gift was fun adventure to read, and I highly recommend it!
I received a free advanced copy of this book from the publisher. This is my honest review.
review by Shirley W. 7-15-22

I received a free e-arc of this book through Netgalley.
Sara is an unlikely matchmaker at age 10, but she manages to bring people together in happy matches for most of her life. Her journey through growing up poor and hungry until she uses her given talents openly is quite intriguing. The book also jumps back and forth to her granddaughter Abby's modern life as a divorce lawyer. A beautiful book about family and love.

Alexa, please play "Invisible string by Taylor Swift'. The story begins with Sara, a Jewish matchmaker, whom has a special gift for matchmaking. We flash forward to the 1990s where her granddaughter Abby is a divorce lawyer and discovers journals her grandma Sara left behind. It was a slow burn in the beginning but I wouldn't change anything about this book. i absolutely fell in love with it...and am questioning if I should pursue a matchmaker for myself! Thank you Netgalley & the publisher for the ARC, in exchange for a honest review.

Have been unable to review due to illness. Review coming soon! This novel looks fantastic and I highly recommend this author to everyone! Can't wait to read this one!

This plot is so good that I hated to put the book down. The pages kept turning.
Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

A great dual timeline book with touches of magic, historical events, feminism and the journey of a grandmother and granddaughter finding their true selves through their shared gift. Set in New York in 1910 and 1994 I was swept into the stories of each of these strong women and their Jewish heritage. Really enjoyable!

THE MATCHMAKER’S GIFT by Lynda Cohen Loigman

This was such a heartwarming story! I never knew there was such a thing as Jewish matchmakers, or “shadchan” or how they were/are paid highly for their services. I found it all quite fascinating.

The story is told through a dual timeline following Sara Glikman, a young girl growing up in the Lower Eastside of Manhattan in the 1910s and her granddaughter Abby, a NY divorce lawyer in 1994.

Sara makes her first match when she’s only 10 years old. She never knew when it was going to happen or how, but somehow she saw what she saw and knew what she knew. Being that most if not all Jewish matchmakers at the time were men, they were against her from the start.

Fast forward to 1994, we meet Sara’s granddaughter Abby who is a divorce lawyer in a firm that handles high profile cases. After living through her parents messy divorce, Abby’s goal is to fight for what is fair for her clients.

I didn’t know what to expect when I requested this book, but I enjoyed reading it. There’s just enough magical realism, love (without it getting cheesy!), strong female characters and of course history! The Yiddish words and terms sprinkled throughout added so much to the story.

Overall, a well written and meticulously researched novel. If you love love, you’ll enjoy this story. I will definitely look into reading Lynda Cohen Loigman’s other novels soon.


**ARC courtesy of @NetGalley & St. Martin’s Press

Rating: 4/5 ⭐️
Release Date: 09.19.22

For me, to read this book was to suspend my perception of reality as I was immersed in the lives of Sara and Abby. From the beginning to the end of this book, I was totally absorbed with Sara and Abby.

There are dual timelines in this book. The early half of the 20th century is with Sara, 1990s are with Abby. Sara is the grandmother, Abby the granddaughter. The events are almost parallel in the 2 timelines. Sara became a successful Jewish matchmaker in her time. Apparently, this talent is genetic as it was passed down to her granddaughter. In this book, the art of matchmaking is not learned.

In the earlier timeline, there were many steeped traditions evident, and rules to be followed in accordance with the Jewish culture. While I have always been aware (though not totally familiar) of the art of matchmaking I did not know any details. I found it quite fascinating. I had no idea that matchmaking was very prevalent in the Jewish Community in the early 1900s.

I love both Sara and Abby as characters. They both overcome challenges. While these challenges were 70 years apart, they were about the age-old issues that women experience in the workforce.

They are both strong women. I loved how Sara evolved over the years. And loved how Abby grew to be someone her grandmother would have been very proud of.

The author included a detailed description of the research involved to create the historical background for this story. I love the fact that there was an actual Pickle King in New York. And, that there was a Knish War. Ms. Loigman worked hard to create this magical story for the readers.

Finally, an excellent choice was made for the cover. It drew my attention to this wonderful book. There are many elements from the story displayed on the cover. It is an excellent preview of what is to come. Sometimes you CAN judge a book by its cover. It truly is a “feel good” book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an Advance Readers Copy.

Just finished reading this delightful novel. I highly recommend it to anyone looking to read about two women and the beautiful gift they possess. A special thanks to #NetGalley and #St.MartinsPress for allowing me to read this advanced digital copy in exchange for this review.

I loved the intertwined stories of Sara and Abby, her granddaughter. Following their journeys through alternating chapters and time periods made for a wonderful read. The book started a bit slow but it definitely picked up and I read the middle to the end in one sitting. By the end of the novel I finished with a smile on my face….was very satisfying.

Thank you Ms. Loigman for this enjoyable historical fiction. I look forward to reading your next novel I am giving this one 4.5 out of 5 stars ….. only due the the slow start.

What a lovely, fun book! This story alternates chapters between Sara, a young immigrant to NY who discovers her talent for matchmaking and her granddaughter, a divorce attorney. Both of these women are strong and caring women who find themselves at odds with the expectations of those around them. I felt pulled into their stories and enjoyed reading about each character as she became more confident. This book is really well written and well researched. Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy in return for an honest opinion.

3.75 ⭐️ Heart warming, light Jewish fiction. Be sure to read author’s note at the end. And since this one isn’t out until Sept. read the author’s outstanding first book Two Room House. Thank you STMP for the ARC.

This story follows the timelines of a grandmother and her granddaughter, exploring both of them growing into their gifts despite the demands of those around them. I adored this book and loved seeing the parallels between Sara and Abby and how they fought for the love of those they encountered. I also loved how this book was set in the 90s instead of modern time.

This was a book that I couldn't put down. I finished in a day! Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for the privilege of reading this ARC!