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Two Orthodox Jewish matchmakers strive busily to marry off their neighbors in this bustling debut novel set in modern-day Jerusalem. Tsippi, who works the counter of her husband's grocery store, is always on the lookout for promising single shoppers, even as her own marriage begins to show signs of wear. Judy, a glamorous mother of six, fits in her matchmaking around her studies at a yeshiva for women, where she is taking Torah classes, looking for deeper meaning in life. Both take a stab at setting up 39-year-old Beth, a staunchly independent Orthodox woman from the U.S. who has gone on more first dates than she can count. Now her possibilities are beginning to dwindle, and to make matters worse, she is troubled by a crisis of faith. When Tsippi sends her on a date with Akiva, a house painter and student of the Torah, Beth is hopeful, but Akiva is afflicted by a disconcerting twitch. A date with arrogant Binyamin, one of Judy's clients, is even more discouraging. Binyamin is a handsome American artist, a newcomer to observant Judaism, but none of the women he dates are good enough for him: as he puts it, "A beauty, dammit, that's what he wanted. Attractive wouldn't do." King tracks the dating fates of Beth, Akiva and Binyamin, but pays equal attention to their spiritual searching. Her attention to minor variations in levels of orthodoxy makes the book a sociological study of sorts ("he went to a very religious black-hat hareidi yeshiva, yet from the look of him he seemed two steps removed from that world"), but her richly detailed descriptions of Jerusalem (the reader can almost smell the falafel frying) and her sympathetic characters make this a fully realized novel. Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. From: Reed Elsevier Inc. Copyright Reed Business Information

While the machinations of matchmakers have long been a staple of fiction, King's debut novel puts a fresh spin on the subject. Matchmakers Judy and Tsippi, members of the ultraorthodox Jewish community in Jerusalem, are both looking for the right mate for their skittish friend Beth while also trying to find meaning in their own lives. Judy seeks a depth that being a wife, mother, and matchmaker have not conferred upon her. Tsippi dreams of a relationship with her husband as romantic as those in her successful matches. As Beth reluctantly moves toward marriage with a fine but imperfect young man, Judy and Tsippi begin to realize their potential through Torah study, finding scriptural wisdom that nourishes both mind and body. King's portrayal of a religious community is as warm and engaging as any in contemporary literature. Her characters jump off the page and into the hearts of her audience. Some readers may find the amount of Yiddish challenging, but the rewards of this charming spiritual tale should overcome the obstacles. For public libraries, particularly those serving Jewish communities.-Andrea Kempf, Johnson Cty. Community Coll. Lib., Overland Park, KSCopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. From: Reed Elsevier Inc. Copyright Reed Business Information