The Matchmaker's Gift Audiobook By Lynda Cohen Loigman cover art

The Matchmaker's Gift

A Novel

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The Matchmaker's Gift

By: Lynda Cohen Loigman
Narrated by: Eva Kaminsky, Gabra Zackman
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"Eva Kaminsky and Gabra Zackman gloriously perform this charming dual-timeline audiobook." - AudioFile Magazine

Lynda Cohen Loigman's
The Matchmaker's Gift is a heartwarming story of two extraordinary women from two different eras who defy expectations to realize their unique talent of seeing soulmates in the most unexpected places.

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?

A Macmillan Audio production from St. Martin’s Press.

©2022 Lynda Cohen Loigman (P)2022 Macmillan Audio
Historical Fiction Jewish Women's Fiction World Literature Heartfelt

Critic reviews

"The plot employs some mag­i­cal real­ism [and] sim­mers with vibrant detail...Loigman’s research exudes authen­tic­i­ty, invok­ing the sights and smells of a bygone Low­er East Side. The his­tor­i­cal chap­ters are com­pelling; the more con­tem­po­rary ones are equal­ly so. A fas­ci­nat­ing nar­ra­tive." ––Jewish Book Council

"As we follow these parallel storylines, Sara and Abby follow their destinies with an abundance of character and charm. Plus, the dual timelines are rife with fun historical details." ––BuzzFeed

"Loigman’s thorough exploration of turn-of-the century, Jewish immigrant culture and her smooth transitions into the 1990s give the reader a full and satisfying picture of Manhattan across the twentieth century. The details are painstaking but never tedious, and the relationships are exciting, sincere, and beautiful." ––Booklist

Heartwarming Storyline • Engaging Dual Narratives • Beautiful Writing • Magical Elements • Engaging Voices
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What a delightful book. Raced to the end
Loved the Yiddish sayings throughout the book

first time reading this author

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Generally, I hate the new normal of books that veer from one time to another, or from one character to another. So I had to endure that. But the story was worth the whiplash.

Fun Story

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Such a beautifully told story about love, family, and legacy. It left my wanting more!

Heartwarming!

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This was an easy to listen book about a grandmother and granddaughter with a special skill to match people. A little far fetched but if you’re looking for something that doesn’t require a lot of thought without someone missing, killed or some other crime, then it’s a good story.

Lighthearted story

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Such a refreshing story weaving the past with current characters. As an audio book, the voices were excellent and engaging which made the story and message truly memorable. This book would make a poignant series for streaming.

Wonderful and Heartfelt story

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I loved the whole book! I loved how we were able to start new lives here and progress as women. This is my history as well.

The progress

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I read \ listen to a fair amount of non-fiction which can be fairly heavy some times. So this was a nice change.
Learned a little bit more about the Jewish culture in the process, which is always a welcome benefit. And the fashion industry!

Great story for a light change!

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This is a feel-good story.
I was all in until it started speaking about this Jewish matchmaker matching same-sex couples. That just took the story a bit too far for me.

Lovely story

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Not too sweet, not too bitter. This is a just right, living, wise story. So well performed too!

Love love love

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I absolutely loved this book on Audible. This was one of the most beautiful stories I’ve heard in a long time. It was so full of love and the bittersweet parts of life. It never was cheesy. It was heartfelt and real. I loved that the “present day” of the granddaughter was the 90’s before social media and cell phones- they had to listen to answering machines at home or the office. Or one part- they called the office first then called home when they couldn’t find Abby. The relationship between granddaughter and grandmother made me miss my grandmother. I am not Jewish but I still loved all the traditions and sayings and the love of family and love in general is universal. I loved the parallel of both the Sarah’s and Abby’s stories on making their careers and standing up for themselves. Sarah was so brave and I loved each and every single of of her matchmaking stories. I loved how everything comes full circle. I love the surprises, I even let out a scream when listening to raspberry macaron part. I was so hooked on both point of views- you get so excited between stories. The small parts of women supporting women was so impactful whether it was at the council or in the restroom . The readers for Audible were incredible. The voice she used for Diane sounded like Samantha from SATC. I could start this story all over again and listen on repeat. And I rarely reread or relisten to books.

One of the most beautiful stories I’ve heard in a long time

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