Seven Blessings - Paperback

by Ruchama King (Author)

The closed, secret world of matchmaking in contemporary Israel provides the titillating pivot for a story of uncommon proportions. In Ruchama King's skillful hands, Seven Blessings maps out the complicated lives of five expatriate women and men whose search for a soul mate, in many ways, mirrors their search for God.

At the center of this fascinating novel is Beth, who at age thirty-nine longs to be married but despairs she ever will be. When she finally meets the man of her dreams, he has what she believes to be an insurmountable flaw. Can she overcome her repugnance in order to forge a new life? Binyamin, a talented painter and student, lacks the humility to identify a worthy wife. He strains the matchmakers' patience until his search for perfect love finally becomes ridiculous, even to himself. Tsippi and Judith, the matchmakers, are stumbling themselves, with marriages that need propping up. In this land of miracles, seeking the right match, whether between singles, husband and wife, student and teacher, or man and God, becomes a quest that opens the Bible to us in a new way.

Rich characters, an intriguing setting, writing that offers unique nuances, and ultimately a story that keeps you turning the pages all combine to introduce a remarkable newcomer. Seven Blessings redefines the Jewish experience, with a story that will ring with truth for anyone who's ever considered getting married.

Front Jacket

Advance Praise for Seven Blessings

"Arranged marriages will never look the same. Ruchama King transforms the life of Orthodox Jerusalem into the universal terms of love and courtship---and yes, real intimacy and self-fulfillment. A perceptive and charming book."--- Risa Miller, author of Welcome to Heavenly Heights

"Ruchama King is herself a great matchmaker---between the sensual and the ethereal, between subtle storytelling and startling revelation. Her novel moves with a grace I have not encountered. What a loss it would have been to have never read it, or for her to have never written it." --- Stephen J. Dubner, author of Confessions of a Hero Worshiper and Turbulent Souls: A Catholic Son's Return to His Jewish Family

" I really enjoyed this book. Ruchama King knows Jerusalem, its matchmakers, and the Americans who wind up there looking for love and connection to each other and to God. It made me laugh and it touched my heart. It's a truly wonderful read." --- Naomi Ragen, author of The Ghost of Hannah Mendes

"Seven Blessings is a wonderful literary alchemy that combines Malamud's "The Magic Barrel" with Potok's The Chosen. Set in Israel and shadowed by the teachings of the Bible, this is a novel that wears its heart on every page and reveals the secrets and mysteries of how souls on earth manage to find the match that they are fated to marry."
--- Thane Rosenbaum, author of The Golems of Gotham and Second Hand Smoke

"It is a rare event for a way of life to be portrayed with a fresh, intelligent artist's eye. Seven Blessings is such an event---an absolute knockout of a first novel.... It's hard to write a page-turning story about religious people, but King has done it, and with tremendous charm. This is a funny, revealing, wonderful book!" ---Alice Elliott Dark, author of Think of England and In the Gloaming

Back Jacket

Advance Praise for Seven Blessings

"Arranged marriages will never look the same. Ruchama King transforms the life of Orthodox Jerusalem into the universal terms of love and courtship---and yes, real intimacy and self-fulfillment. A perceptive and charming book."--- Risa Miller, author of Welcome to Heavenly Heights

"Ruchama King is herself a great matchmaker---between the sensual and the ethereal, between subtle storytelling and startling revelation. Her novel moves with a grace I have not encountered. What a loss it would have been to have never read it, or for her to have never written it." --- Stephen J. Dubner, author of Confessions of a Hero Worshiper and Turbulent Souls: A Catholic Son's Return to His Jewish Family

" I really enjoyed this book. Ruchama King knows Jerusalem, its matchmakers, and the Americans who wind up there looking for love and connection to each other and to God. It made me laugh and it touched my heart. It's a truly wonderful read." --- Naomi Ragen, author of The Ghost of Hannah Mendes

"Seven Blessings is a wonderful literary alchemy that combines Malamud's "The Magic Barrel" with Potok's The Chosen. Set in Israel and shadowed by the teachings of the Bible, this is a novel that wears its heart on every page and reveals the secrets and mysteries of how souls on earth manage to find the match that they are fated to marry."
--- Thane Rosenbaum, author of The Golems of Gotham and Second Hand Smoke

"It is a rare event for a way of life to be portrayed with a fresh, intelligent artist's eye. Seven Blessings is such an event---an absolute knockout of a first novel.... It's hard to write a page-turning story about religious people, but King has done it, and with tremendous charm. This is a funny, revealing, wonderful book!" ---Alice Elliott Dark, author of Think of England and In the Gloaming

Author Biography

Ruchama King lived, studied, and taught in Jerusalem for ten years. Her short stories have appeared in various magazines and journals. She now lives in New Jersey with her husband and children. Seven Blessings is her first novel.