Review of "The Matchmaker's Gift: A Novel" by Lynda Cohen Loigman

In this dual timeline story, Sara Glikman and her granddaughter Abby both feel compelled to match people with their bashert (the Jewish term for soulmate).

In 1910, ten-year-old Sara Glikman and her family are on the deck of a steamship, emigrating from eastern Europe to New York City. Sara's older sister Hindel, bereft about the young man she left behind, can't stop crying.



Sara is sent to get a handkerchief for Hindel, and seeing a young male passenger cleaning his glasses, Sara asks to borrow his. When the amiable fellow - named Aaron - agrees, Sara sees a 'mystical' golden strand of light connecting him to Hindel.



Three months later Hindel and Aaron are married in a synagogue in New York. This is Sara's first love match, and foreshadows her gift as a matchmaker. However, Sara's career as 'cupid' - which she continues as she grows up - is far from straightforward.



In the early 1900s there are about a million Jewish people in New York City, many of them anxious to retain the customs and culture of their European shtetls.


Immigrant Jewish neighborhood on New York's lower east side in the early 20th century

One Jewish tradition, matchmaking, is almost always done by men called shadchanim, who rely on the profession to make a living. The shadchanim are not about to countenance an interloper, especially a young unmarried girl, taking the food out of their families' mouths. So, when the shadchanim suspect Sara is making matches, they loudly complain and proceed to spy on Sara and follow her, to insure she's not facilitating weddings.


Shadchanim

Still, when Sara sees a golden light between a man and woman, she feels compelled to get them together, even if she has to do it surreptitiously.



Thus, when Sara senses a glimmer between her 'old maid' schoolteacher Miss Perelman and a greengrocer named Sam, Sara encourages Miss Perelman to shop at Sam's store, citing the fresh produce and good prices. And voila, a match is made.



However Sara gets no fee for being a secret shadchante (female matchmaker), and can't contribute much money to the family, which includes Sara's parents and three brothers, as well as Hindel and Aaron and their little children.



As Sara gets older, she's determined to get a college education and to practice her matchmaking vocation in the open, for appropriate compensation. The results provide an interesting glimpse into Jewish customs of the time.



Sara's story alternates with that of her granddaughter Abby, which takes place in 1994. Abby is an attorney working at a New York law firm called Berenson and Gold, which specializes in divorce. Abby decided on this profession because her parents breakup when Abby was twelve left her mother struggling, while her cheating father lived the high life. So Abby resolved to help women get a fair shake in divorce situations.



Abby's boss, Diane Berenson, is a hard-driving woman, and Abby is expected to put in long hours and follow Diane's instructions to the letter.



Abby is at work one morning when she learns her grandmother Sara died peacefully in her sleep. Tears stream down Abby's face as she thinks about her loss.



Fourteen years ago - after Abby's parents split up - grandma Sara returned from her retirement in Florida to help raise Abby and her sister. When Abby became a divorce lawyer, Sara acknowledged the need for the profession, but noted that all the couples Sara herself joined stayed together. Then Sara urged Abby to remember all the stories Sara had related, and observed, "Who knows? Maybe you'll make a few love matches of your own."



Sara left some boxes for Abby, which contain Sara's journals for the last eighty years. The notebooks have details of Sara's matches, along with relevant newspaper clippings, wedding notices; etc. Abby becomes fascinated with the entries, which are a vivid reminder of Sara's work.


Wedding picture of a Jewish couple

Soon after Sara's funeral, Diane Berenson assigns Abby new cases: one client is rich, middle-aged fashion designer Victor Étoile, who's engaged to 25-year-old model Nicole Blanchard, and needs a prenup;



another client is wealthy real estate and hotel mogul Evelyn Morgan - who's divorcing her fourth husband.



As Abby is working on these cases, she sees unexpected 'golden lights' connecting various people, and - like grandma Sara - Abby feels compelled to take steps. This causes repercussions in Abby's job and life.

The story provides a vivid picture of New York's Jewish immigrant community in the early 20th century, with descriptions of overcrowded apartment buildings with one bathroom per floor; young couples having child after child; religious rituals; street peddlers; an aromatic pickle store; knish shops; and more. (Some such shops still remain, and I've enjoyed knishes from Yonah Shimmel's Knish Bakery in New York. 🙂)


Commerce on New York's Lower East Side in the early 20th century


Knish Bakery


Potato Knishes

In an interview, author Lynda Cohen Loigman observed that she believes in soulmates, saying "I don't think everybody has one. I think there are some people in this world that you just really connect with." This is reflected in the book which has a whiff of magical realism and leans toward 'true love' and 'soulmates.' This is a bit too romantic for my taste, but I enjoyed the novel, which has a compelling story and interesting characters. Highly recommended.

Rating: 4 stars