Review: An Unorthodox Match

An Unorthodox Match by Naomi Ragen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

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.

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