All That Matters [Hardcover]

Jan Goldstein (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 8, 2004

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 heartwarming 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.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Destined to be a sure-fire weeper, All that Matters by Jan Goldstein is, nonetheless, a good story about a lost young woman and her aged grandmother, both of whom have scores to settle with life, and a great deal to offer each other.

Jennifer Stempler has taken herself to Venice Beach to get lost in the crowd, ingest enough Xanax and tequila to do herself in, and simply lie down and die. Instead, the metal-combed beach sweeper stops just short of her inert form and her plan is foiled. Jennifer has, in her opinion, plenty of reasons to exit the planet. Her mother was killed while walking when she would have been driving if Jennifer hadn't taken the car--at her mother's insistence; her father, having left her and her mother years before, is now remarried to Ms. Beverly Hills Aerobics and the proud father of a baby girl; her long-time lover, her this-is-forever guy, ups and leaves. Everybody seems to be leaving, so why not her, reasons Jennifer.

Enter the quintessential Jewish grandmother, Gittel "Gabby" Zuckerman, Holocaust survivor and fearless old lady. She convinces Jennifer's pompous father and her Doctor to let Jennifer go to New York with her, instead of being locked up someplace, drugged senseless and asked to talk herself to pieces. One of the best parts of the book is the sendup Goldstein does of shrinks and their various party lines.

At the beginning of the book, Jennifer carries a camcorder everywhere: "It wasn't just about focus, Jennifer told herself. Recording events meant time could be stopped, played back, even erased." This metaphor is, unfortunately, never followed up, and it's a good one for what happens to Jennifer. The relationship between the two women, one with a life ahead of her, if she will only claim it, and the other with a life she will soon leave, flourishes as they learn from each other that what really matters is offering the gift of love. --Valerie Ryan

From Publishers Weekly

In this sentimental, uplifting first novel by rabbi and self-help author Goldstein (Sacred Wounds; Life Can Be This Good), a suicidal young woman finds her bliss with the help of her grandmother, a Holocaust survivor. At 23, Jennifer thinks there's little to live for: her mother is dead, her Hollywood-producer father is busy with his picturesque new family, and her boyfriend has given her the boot. ("Phillip had been the white knight of her childhood fairy tales, the prince she long dreamed would rescue her from a life she had no wish to live.") Enter Gittel "Gabby" Zuckerman, to take Jennifer back with her to New York and make everything all right. Jennifer may not be particularly sympathetic or convincing as a depressive, but Gabby, for all her familiarity (twinkly eyes, "floating halo of white hair," indomitable spirit) is hard not to love. When she reveals to Jennifer how she met her husband and escaped the Nazis in Poland, the story (though often told in fiction) transcends cliché and takes on some urgency. Elsewhere, there are clichés aplenty, but Goldstein unabashedly, effectively yanks readers' heartstrings—and some of them will love it.
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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Hardcover: 198 pages
• Publisher: Hyperion; Large Print edition (September 8, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 140130110X
• ISBN-13: 978-1401301101
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.8 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (30 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,849,652 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very touching, yet uplifting story, September 14, 2004

By 

Judy Nassif (Dallas, Texas) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: All That Matters (Hardcover)

"All That Matters" is that you read this lovely story that confirms life with special and unexpected gifts, handed down, with love, from generation to generation. May the spirit of Gabby touch your heart as it did mine, reminding me of my "Nana" and her wisdom and zest for life. It is a very touching, yet uplifting story. A must read.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars WOW!!!!, September 13, 2004

By 

Guy Mizrahi "gmiz" (LA, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: All That Matters (Hardcover)

Classifying this novel as the most inspirational book I have ever read would be an understatement. Not only is it brilliantly written, this literary masterpiece captivates its readers in an ineffable manner. Cheers to you Mr. Goldstein and keep them coming!!!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Truly Touched, September 11, 2004

By 

Michelle Howard "avid reader" (Austin, TX) - See all my reviews

This review is from: All That Matters (Hardcover)

I could not put this book down. From start to finish I was glued to the pages - I ended up reading it in 2 days. I was deeply moved by the characters and often saw myself in Jennifer. I HIGHLY recommend this book to anyone who loves a beautiful and touching story.