Jean Meltzer is a nice Jewish girl with a not-so-secret love of Christmas. After a childhood steeped in Jewish tradition, kosher food, loving bubbes, and awkward Jewish summer camp romances, she found her way to NYU Tisch, where she studied dramatic writing and earned numerous awards for her work in television, including a daytime Emmy.
She spent five years in rabbinical school, finally discovering the magic of Hanukkah for herself, before her chronic illness forced her to withdraw, and her father told her that she should write a book—just not a Jewish one because no one reads those. The Matzah Ball is her first novel. It combines all of the things she loves: warm and supportive families, tight-knit Jewish communities, Ashkenazi baked goods, big and swoony endings, Jewish shtick and humor, Judaism... and, of course, Christmas.
Genres: Romance
New and upcoming books
Novels
Jean Meltzer recommends
Till There Was You (2024)
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Three Holidays and a Wedding (2023)
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"A heartwarming celebration of love, family and faith, Three Holidays and a Wedding tenderly explores the bonds that bring us to our best selves."
Don't Forget to Write (2023)
Sara Goodman Confino
"The best type of love story... Don't Forget to Write is a wise, warmhearted, and witty tale about women determined to write their own stories."
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