Author Lynda Cohen Loigman has two exciting new releases out that tell stories of women in the not-so-distant past.
1920s Young Girl Secretly Makes Matches in The Matchmaker’s Gift
I adored The Two Family House and The Wartime Sisters so it is no surprise that it was love at first sight the moment I saw the cover of this beauty!
I devoured The Matchmaker’s Gift and have been thinking about it a lot even after I finished. It is a moving story of Sara Glickman, a young girl in early 1900s New York who secretly acts as a matchmaker before her time and during a period when only the devout Jewish older men did that type of work.
Jumping ahead in time, Abby, Sara’s granddaughter, a divorce attorney in NYC, inherits her grandmother’s journals with notes about the matches. She begins to question her own career choice and realizes maybe the journals weren’t the only thing she inherited. Does her happiness lie in her current law job or should she follow in her grandmother’s footsteps and utilize her own matchmaking intuition?
Magical Realism and Cross-Generational Story
With a bit of magical realism, dual timelines, engrossing stories of compelling women from different generations, humor and Yiddish words here and there, Lynda Loigman has come up with a perfect combination to shine a light on women’s struggles wrapped up in a heartfelt, well written novel. The Matchmaker’s Gift is filled with warm feelings of comforting Jewish heritage, love, hope and opportunity, all rolled into a big hug from old New York… just what I needed!
Book Nation by Jen’s Latest Book Club Pick
It’s never too late for new beginnings in The Love Elixir of Augusta Stern.
On the cusp of turning eighty, newly retired pharmacist Augusta Stern is adrift. When she relocates to Rallentando Springs — an active senior community in southern Florida — she unexpectedly crosses paths with Irving Rivkin, the delivery boy from her father’s old pharmacy — and the man who broke her heart sixty years earlier.
As a teenager growing up in 1920’s Brooklyn, Augusta’s role model was her father, Solomon Stern, the trusted owner of the local pharmacy and the neighborhood expert on every ailment. But when Augusta’s mother dies and Great Aunt Esther moves in, Augusta can’t help but be drawn to Esther’s curious methods. As a healer herself, Esther offers Solomon’s customers her own advice — unconventional remedies ranging from homemade chicken soup to a mysterious array of powders and potions.
An Elixir With Disastrous Consequences
As Augusta prepares for pharmacy college, she is torn between loyalty to her father and fascination with her great aunt, all while navigating a budding but complicated relationship with Irving. Desperate for clarity, she impulsively uses Esther’s most potent elixir with disastrous consequences. Disillusioned and alone, Augusta vows to reject Esther’s enchantments forever.
Sixty years later, confronted with Irving, Augusta is still haunted by the mistakes of her past. What happened all those years ago and how did her plan go so spectacularly wrong? Did Irving ever truly love her or was he simply playing a part? And can Augusta reclaim the magic of her youth before it’s too late?
Join BookNationbyJen’s Book Club Meeting to discuss The Love Elixir of Augusta Stern with Bestselling Author Lynda Cohen Loigman on Wednesday, February 5th at 7:30pm on Zoom!
Sign up to receive the Zoom link by sending an email to jen@booknationbookclub.com
(Link will be shared the day before and day of the event.)
These articles are reformatted and reposted from BookNationbyJen. You can view the original posts here and here.
