Playing With Matches by Suri Rosen (+Podcast)
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When 16-year-old Raina Resnick is expelled from her Manhattan private school, she’s sent to live with her strict aunt — but Raina feels like she’s persona non grata no matter where she goes. Her sister, Leah, blames her for her broken engagement, and she’s a social pariah at her new school. In the tight-knit Jewish community, Raina finds she is good at one thing: matchmaking! As the anonymous “MatchMaven,” Raina sets up hopeless singles desperate to find the One. A cross between Jane Austen’s Emma, Dear Abby, and Yenta the matchmaker, Raina’s double life soon has her barely staying awake in class. Can she find the perfect match for her sister and get back on her good side, or will her tanking grades mean a second expulsion? In her debut novel, Suri Rosen creates a comic and heartwarming story of one girl trying to find happiness for others, and redemption for herself.
From Heidi Estrin:
[T]he hippest and funniest Orthodox Jewish book I’ve ever read. Aimed at teens but enjoyable for adults too, it tells the story of how 16-year-old Raina Resnick accidentally gets swept into the secret role of matchmaker in her close-knit community. I spoke to Suri by phone at her home in Toronto.
