The Matzah Ball: A Novel

Oy! to the world

Rachel Rubenstein-Goldblatt is a nice Jewish girl with a shameful secret: she loves Christmas. For a decade she’s hidden her career as a Christmas romance novelist from her family. Her talent has made her a bestseller even as her chronic illness has always kept the kind of love she writes about out of reach.

But when her diversity-conscious publisher insists she write a Hanukkah romance, her well of inspiration suddenly runs dry. Hanukkah’s not magical. It’s not merry. It’s not Christmas. Desperate not to lose her contract, Rachel’s determined to find her muse at the Matzah Ball, a Jewish music celebration on the last night of Hanukkah, even if it means working with her summer camp archenemy—Jacob Greenberg.

Though Rachel and Jacob haven’t seen each other since they were kids, their grudge still glows brighter than a menorah. But as they spend more time together, Rachel finds herself drawn to Hanukkah—and Jacob—in a way she never expected. Maybe this holiday of lights will be the spark she needed to set her heart ablaze.

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416 pages

Average rating: 7.07

363 RATINGS

22 REVIEWS

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Book it with Jess

Sep 28, 2024

8/10 stars

What witty book that is not actually a full Christmas book. At first I was skeptical and really thinking of skipping this book but overall this was enjoyable! I would recommend!

JRo85

Mar 23, 2024

10/10 stars

I adored this! I’d get frustrated with the characters and then squeal with delight. Funny, sweet and such a fun look into the Jewish culture.

Anonymous

Mar 04, 2024

10/10 stars

Really great read no matter what faith you are. The story is awesome and I look forward to reading more from Ms. Meltzer!

Corvus_Libri

Sep 18, 2023

10/10 stars

A wonderful story about love, light, tradition, and personal connection to the greater community.
I laughed, I cried, I had 20 tabs open with different Jewish terms for remembering all their definitions and uses.
I loved it, I would love to see more like it, more Hannukah, more Yon Kippur, and any other holiday that humans have ever celebrated.

crabbyabbe

Aug 10, 2023

8/10 stars

What was most enjoyable to me in this novel was the historical research in the present day to try and discover the supposed serial-killer apothecary in 1790s London. I love any book that makes me want to dig deeper into a topic. The present day difficulties between Caroline and James I could have done without, but I know why they were there. Overall, a soft pick, but I am intrigued by Sarah Penner and will read her 2nd book as well.