An Unorthodox Match is a powerful and moving novel of faith, love, and acceptance, from author Naomi Ragen, the international bestselling author of The Devil in Jerusalem. California girl Lola has her life all set up: business degree, handsome fiancé, fast track career, when suddenly, without warning, everything tragically implodes. After years fruitlessly searching for love, marriage, and … love, marriage, and children, she decides to take the radical step of seeking spirituality and meaning far outside the parameters of modern life in the insular, ultraorthodox enclave of Boro Park, Brooklyn. There, fate brings her to the dysfunctional home of newly-widowed Jacob, a devout Torah scholar, whose life is also in turmoil, and whose small children are aching for the kindness of a womanly touch.
While her mother direly predicts she is ruining her life, enslaving herself to a community that is a misogynistic religious cult, Lola’s heart tells her something far more complicated. But it is the shocking and unexpected messages of her new community itself which will finally force her into a deeper understanding of the real choices she now faces and which will ultimately decide her fate.
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At a time when Romancelandia is demanding diverse stories we get An Unorthodox Match, a gentle tale of love lost and found in the insular and demanding world of haredi Orthodox Jewish life in enclaves such as Boro Park, NY.
Leah (Lola) Howard was born Jewish but always searched for connection to a more spiritual existence. Over her mother’s strenuous objections her steps have led her to embrace Orthodox Judaism, but now she struggles to be part of a community known for constantly observing and judging its inhabitants, especially the ones who are not “FFB”, not born and raised in its strict confines. (There is a helpful glossary in the book for translating “Yinglish” syntax and phrases.)
Yaakov Lehman is a widower struggling with his grief, with raising his five children, with the demands of providing for a family and neglecting his studies. He’s finally forced to acknowledge he needs to marry again for his sake and for the sake of his children.
Yaakov and Leah allow matchmakers to try and find them their destined mates with sometimes disturbing, sometimes hilarious results. In the meantime, Leah’s been volunteering to care for Yaakov’s children and home part-time and you don’t need to be a romance reader to know they’re going to connect at some point.
I enjoyed the glimpse into the frum world with both its beauty in the joy of observance and faith and family, and its ugliness where lives are damaged by gossip and secrets and pettiness. Fans of the surprise Netflix hit Shtisel might also like this book, and Naomi Ragen fans will enjoy another entertaining look into the varied communities of the Jewish world.
I received a free electronic copy of this excellent novel from Netgalley, St. Martin’s Press and Naomi Ragen. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me. I have read this novel of my own volition, and this review reflects my honest opinion of this work.
An Unorthodox Match is set in Boro Park, Brooklyn, NY in a modern time frame, peopled by many of the Orthodox Jewish members of that community, giving us an interesting and intimate look into the everyday lives, the heritage and the chosen lifestyles of these families of Jewish ancestry.
Leah Howard is the granddaughter of Orthodox Jews, but their daughter, Leah’s mother Cheryl is a hippy and agnostic never-married liberated mother and her father a one-night-stand. Named Lola at birth, she chooses to go by Leah now that she is an adult, and after her job folds up and the senseless death of her fiance Josh, she is in the process of learning about her heritage and her religion.
Leah’s Grandparents have passed, and her mother Cheryl is greatly opposed to Leah having anything to do with the religion Cheryl felt was a cult that had ruined her early years with its rules and rituals. Leah feels that the formality, the protocol, and teachings of the Jewish religion are just what she needs to put her life into perspective and learn to live with her loses. She desperately needs to have the support of both her religion and her community as she comes to face her future as it is, now.
One of her first decisions is to volunteer in the neighborhood and through using her computer and marketing skills, she soon has a good business shaping up. Then as she begins absorbing her immersion into the life of this community, she offers to volunteer in the afternoons in the home of a widower, Yaakov Lehman. Yaakov is deeply involved with full-time religious studies at the yeshiva. It has been months since the passing of his wife but their home is still in flux, with chores falling to the wayside and meals and laundry catch-as-catch-can. The income to support the family came from Zissele’s outside employment, so money is fast becoming a problem, as well. Yaakov signs up for night classes in accounting so that he might be employable which adds to the time Shaindele has to put in on the household and siblings.
Leah immediately falls for the two youngest of the five Lehman children, Chasya is about three, and Mordechai is a little over one. Shaindele is 15 and worn out trying to cover the household chores, babysitting her young siblings and completing her school work. The two oldest children, sons, are away at a yeshiva in Baltimore, so don’t add to the problems at home, but also cannot help. Fruma Esther Sonnenbaum, the mother of Yaakov’s deceased wife Zissele, tries to help but she too is very tired and can’t always be counted on.
The sky is falling. Things must change, difficult as change is. And the changes are the best part of this novel. The insular reactions and gossip are the worst. This family will make it through to the other side. I am pleased to recommend to friends and family. Though not a fast read, I felt this was an excellent story with an interesting lesson and folks that feel like family.
When I got the invite to review An Unorthodox Match, I almost didn’t accept it. I do not read books that are straight, religious books, even those that are masked as women’s fiction. But the blurb caught my attention, and I decided to read An Unorthodox Match.
Having grown up in a community that was Jewish, I assumed that I knew a lot about the religion. I always knew that there was an Ultraorthodox part of the religion but knew nothing about it. Then I read An Unorthodox Match, and my mind was blown. There was so much that I didn’t know and so much that took me by surprise. It was learning about the Ultraorthodox religion that made this book for me.
I liked Lola/Leah. But I do wish that her backstory had been told better. I got a little irritated because her backstory was broken up. The author did say at the beginning of the book that Lola/Leah had been through a lot as a child and an adult. But after that, it was fragmented and drove me nuts. It wasn’t until that important scene with Yaakov at the end of the book that everything was put together in chronological order. I also thought that Lola/Leah was too lenient with Shaindele after what that twit put her through. But I will get to that in a little bit.
I liked Yaakov and felt awful for him. I guessed what had happened to his first wife early in the book. His grief and guilt came off the page. I wanted to hug him and tell him it wasn’t his fault. I liked that the author made him human. He had three children at home who he needed to take care or and provide for. He did what he had to, which included giving up his studies, to care for them. That included going to someone to help find a wife (which is done in this religion).
I do have to mention Shaindele, Yaakov’s oldest daughter because she played a massive part in Lola/Leah and Yaakov’s relationship. I didn’t like her. I found her behavior disrespectful throughout the book. I did feel bad for her. Losing her mother the way that she did and not being told the truth about how/why she died was traumatic. But it did not excuse how she treated the younger children or Lola/Leah. Which is why I was surprised that Lola/Leah talked Yaakov out of doing what he wanted to do.
I did find how hard it was for Lola/Leah to be accepted into the enclave fascinating. I had no idea that it was so hard for converts to be accepted into the Ultraorthodox enclaves. I had no clue that even if they did marry, that their children would never be accepted. The prejudices were outlined perfectly in this book. There was a point where I thought Lola/Leah was fighting a losing battle.
The romance angle of the book wasn’t up and in your face. Lola/Leah and Yaakov had to overcome a lot even to meet. But once they met, I could see the attraction. What I liked also is that there was zero sex. No kissing. Per the religion, Yaakov couldn’t even touch Lola/Leah. So kissing her was out of the question. I loved watching their romance develop without that. It was refreshing.
The end of An Unorthodox Match pulled at my heartstrings. It was a typical HEA that made me tear up. What I appreciated was that the author included a glossary with all the Jewish and Yiddish terms that were used in the book. I was getting a bit frustrated and ended up googling 90% of those terms. I wish I had known about it earlier. It would have saved me a whole lot of frustration.
I have been a fan of Naomi Ragen’s books for many years. I loved all of her earlier books, until around 2010. The three books after that date I did not care for. But I still am a fan and am thrilled to report that I LOVED “An Unorthodox Match”. This is a beautiful story of faith, love, forgiveness, second chances, and acceptance.
“An Unorthodox Match” is set in Borough Park, Brooklyn, home to one of the largest Orthodox Jewish communities outside Israel. Yaakov, a devout Talmud scholar, is struggling to care for his five children after the death of his beloved wife. Recognizing that he is not coping well at all he finally accepts that he must look for a new wife so he contacts the local matchmakers.
Leah feels like a fish out of water in Borough Park. Understandable as she grew up as Lola, a secular Jew, knowing very little about the traditions of her faith. But after the death of her fiancé she turns to the faith she learned from her observant Jewish grandparents and decides to become a baal teshuva, a returnee to the faith, and joins the ultraorthodox neighborhood in Borough Park. She is looking for the structure the ultraorthodox lifestyle provides. Leah has many obstacles to overcome – primary being her mother’s insistence that she is ruining her life, and the non-acceptance by the Borough Park residents. As an act of mercy she volunteers to go to Yaakov’s home to care for the younger children and to tidy their home.
When Yaakov and Leah finally meet they are immediately attracted to each other but their match is considered – well, unorthodox. The matchmakers disapprove. Yaakov’s 15-year-old daughter Shaindele resents Leah’s visits to their home. Ragen’s portrayal of Shaindele is truly heart-breaking. After her mother’s death, Shaindele’s childhood is over. She must now take care of the younger children, clean the house, do the laundry, and do some cooking. And she still must attend school and do her homework. Shaindele resents that Leah can do all this and she couldn’t. The mother-in-law disapproves of Leah. So how can Yaakov and Leah possibly be together? I loved Yaakov and Leah so much I wanted them to just ignore all this, but that they could not do that.
I found this is be a complex story, as life itself is complex. Ragen dishes up the good, bad, and the ugly. While presenting the beautiful side of Orthodox Judaism she also exposes the ugly side. Like any community, those are those who are cruel and judgmental, and those who are kind, loving, and generous. This was an intimate look inside a very insular community, a community that follows a very strict code of conduct. I am sure that some readers will probably be offended by the rules of the community, but this is their way of life. This book is full of great characters, some being very minor in the story. Ragen writes of the parent-child upheavals after the death of one of the parents. The struggle Yaakov and Leah have with their faith and their community was poignant. Above all, a well written book should evoke emotions in its reader. This book did just that – I felt compassion, anger, fear, and joy.
Note: The cover has nothing to do with the story inside. This is a clean romance between two Orthodox people.
Thank you to Jordan Hanley at St. Martin’s Press for the advance reading copy. All opinions expressed are my own.
An Unorthodox Match by Naomi Ragen is a fabulous novel about Leah (Lola as her name was that was given to her at birth) a 34 year old female and her trials, tribulations, and quest to find herself, her way in the world, and to find where she belongs.
It is a story of her transition from raised to believe in nothing, to her transition into a conservative Orthodox community in New York City. Here she meets a few friends/allies amongst a whole new community that isn’t as perfect as she had expected. She meets a 41 year old widower, Yaakov Lehman, his family, and learns of their own problems and struggles in life.
The supporting characters add depth and passion to this transitional tale, and I immensely enjoyed reading their thoughts and insights and the complexity that this added to the novel.
Obviously I initially became interested in this novel due to being Jewish (however not Orthodox), but as I read on, I learned so much more about this specific community, its culture, and the main theme: that no matter who you are, where you live, or what religion you may be, you will experience mountains and valleys. Struggles are inherent to everyone and know no boundaries. It is what you do in response to these challenges that decides what kind of person you will become.
This is a gem of a novel and I have already checked out to read several more books that are written by Ms. Ragen.
5/5 stars
This is the first book I’ve read from Naomi Ragen and I’m so glad I did. Thank you to Jordan Hanley from St. Martin’s press for putting this wonderful gem in my hands and introducing me to this wonderful author. In the first scene, Leah (formerly Lola) Howard is sitting in a Rabbi’s office. After losing a fiancé to a freak accident and a serious boyfriend to infidelity, she has turned to faith for healing, decided to become Orthodox. The story immediately takes off as we follow Leah through the difficult assimilation process. Soon after she arrives in Boro Park, Brooklyn, she begins volunteering to help the family of Yaakov Lehman, a recent widower, tidying up his home and caring for his smaller children several times a week. Learning about him only through clues she finds in his home and things his children say, she becomes intrigued about who he is. When Leah and Yaakov finally meet in person, they both immediately deny their instant connection. How could they possibly be a match? He is a from a well respected family in the community and she is an outsider who has eaten forbidden foods, caroused on Shabbat, and slept with numerous men. At its heart this a romance story—there’s no questions about how the story will end—but getting there is immersive and completely enjoyable. I loved reading about all of the details of the Boro Park Haredi community. Ragen has done enormous research to make sure she gets the details right and it shows. Her running commentary and observations about the ways and traditions of the insular community are insightful, intriguing and balanced. The shifting perspective also allows the reader to see different sides of the same story and come to their own conclusions. I will definitely be picking up some of Ragen’s other books in the near future.