THE MATZAH BALL

Narrator Dara Rosenberg whirls listeners through Rachel Rubenstein-Goldblatt's desperate plan to save her writing career. Rachel is Jewish, but she secretly writes Christmas romances. Rosenberg expresses Rachel's panic when her editor demands a Hanukkah romance. When Rachel begs her archnemesis, Jacob, for a ticket to his exclusive New York City Matzah Ball, their childhood camp romance rekindles. Without stereotypes, Rosenberg creates a variety of New York accents for Rachel's Jewish community. She incorporates Yiddish and Hebrew words seamlessly and clearly shares the author's in-text definitions. Dealing with Rachel's secret chronic disease with sensitivity, she builds dramatic tension as Jacob unknowingly asks Rachel to do volunteer work she can't physically accomplish. Rachel's sweet, feisty voice and Jacob's rough, clipped speech perfectly mix to show listeners the magic of Hanukkah. C.A. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine [Published: OCTOBER 2021]