The Matchmaker´s Gift by Linda Cohen Loigman

´Love is not always a straight, shining line sometimes, love is a shady part, full of unpredictable truths´.

Shadchans - Jewish matchmakers - do have sometimes a shady reputation and there are many scary stories about how people - particularly older (matches from 23 years onwards) or divorced, or divorced with children, or from divorced parents and the list can go on and on and on - are treated. Or rather mistreated. But there are also happy couples who were successfully matched by heartwarming shadchans who put the interests on their clients beyond their profit expectations.

Although I am pleased to hear stories, any kind of stories, about matchmaking, religious or not, literature about the topic is rare. Hence, my high interest in reading The Matchmaker´s Gift by Lynda Cohen Loigman, a book I had on my TBR for way too long.

Inspired by real matchmaking stories she was shared, the book is set alternatively at the beginning of the 20th century and mid 1990s. Sara, a gifted intuitive matchmaker who set up people since she was 10, based a mysterious outerwordly reading of people - there is a hollow and a spark she is able to see when people interact - and her divorce lawyer Abby are the main storytellers. Shortly after Sara´s death in her late 90s, Abby is going through her grandmother´s diaries. The knowledge she got, matched with the constant memories of being told she may have the same gift, almost ruined her hardworked career. After all, which divorce lawyer would want to work with someone who is actually convincing people to stay together? But in America, everyone has a place, and it seems that Abby found her niche.

The Matchmaker´s Gift is a heartwarming book, with so many interesting insights including in the ways in which marriage changed from being an institution to a story of love and consentment. Sara´s matchmaking, set to deal with ´no negotiated or mercenary marriage´, fuels dreams of love and stories ´brillant enough to last´. 

The type of Judaism manifested is North American, not necessarily religious, and Sara´s matches touched upon a large variety of people, outside the tribe as well. 

The interactions between characters count the most and although I would have expect more interaction, social context and stories in general, I´ve enjoyed the book. Somehow, it feels as the author is tiptoeing carefully on a very complex area hence the modest story and character development. However, I would definitely read more by Cohen Loigman in the future.

Rating: 3.5 stars