Synopses & Reviews
What's the greatest gift that one person can give another?
Jan Goldstein's stunning debut novel, All That Matters, is a deeply moving, endearing tale of a young woman who, with the help of her feisty grandmother, makes a journey from the very brink of death and despair into a full embrace of life.
Jennifer Stempler has nothing left to lose: the love of her life dumped her, her mother died in a senseless car accident five years ago, and her famous Hollywood producer father started a brand-new family--with no room in it for her. So, 23-year-old Jennifer decides to pursue peaceful (permanent) oblivion on the beach near her home in Venice, California, drifting on a lethal combination of Xanax and tequila. But she can't even get that right.
Jennifer's depression is no match for her Nana's determination. Gabby Zuckerman refuses to let her granddaughter self-destruct. With promises made to Jennifer's father and doctors, Gabby whisks Jennifer back to her home in New York City, intending to prove to Jennifer that her life cannot possibly be over yet. In fact, it has just begun. Through jaunts in Central Park to road trips to Maine, Gabby teaches Jennifer how to trust and hope again. And by relating her own tragic and heroic experience during the Nazi occupation of Poland, Gabby bestows upon Jennifer an understanding of her own life's value. But when Gabby reveals a secret--one that proves to be Jennifer's toughest challenge yet--Jennifer struggles to find out whether the gift will sustain her.
Combining the unabashedly heart-warming sentiment of Robert James Waller's The Bridges of Madison County or Nicholas Sparks's Message in a Bottle with the irreverent humor of Jennifer Weiner's In Her Shoes, Goldstein's All That Matters is an inspirational first novel that leads readers to the core of what matters in life--family, hope, and savoring each moment.
Review
". . . leads the reader through our own emotional maze . . . through the characters, we learn the true meaning of embracing . . . life." (Marianne Williamson)
Review
"Miraculous. This life-affirming, heartbreaking, disarmingly funny first novel will be the best cry of the year." (Richard Carlson)
Review
". . . a compelling, deeply moving story of love, friendship, family, and second chances." (Kristin Hannah)
Synopsis
This stunning debut novel is a deeply moving, endearing tale of a young woman who, with the help of her feisty grandmother, makes a journey from the very brink of death and despair into a full embrace of life. Unabashedly combining heartwarming sentiment with irreverent humor, author Jan Goldstein leads readers to the core of what mattersQfamily, hope, and savoring each moment. 1-40130-110-X$17.95 / Time Warner Book Group
About the Author
Jan Goldstein is an award-winning poet and playwright and the author of two works of nonfiction: Life Can Be This Good and Sacred Wounds: Succeeding Because of Life's Pain. As a powerhouse speaker and author he's received praise from such disparate quarters as Nobel Laureate Elie Wiesel, Deepak Chopra, and Mark Victor Hansen. An ordained rabbi, he lives with his wife and children in Los Angeles.