The Matzo Ball Heiress, written by Lauren Gwen Shapiro is a fun light fully story about Heather Greenblotz, the heiress to the Greenblotz family fortune and part owner of the number one selling matzo company, under the family name. She shares the running of the company with her cousins, the third generation of Greenblotz to control the company started by their grandfather Izzy.
Of course Passover is upon us as the story begins and Heather has been recruited to take a news reporter on a tour of the matzo factory. As she guides the reporter, Steve Myers and his crew through the factory she is thinking of how she can impress Steve and Jared the cameraman with her own film experience and whether she finds either of them attractive. This becomes a romantic plot with a bit of tension as Heather first goes on a date with Steve and then finding him narcissistic finds Jared much more likable.
Steve it turns out is interested in using Greenblotz matzo and the Greenblotz family to further his career. He offers to film the Greenblotz seder asa publicity move for the company and a career move for himself. Of course the family agrees even though all the members of the family have been estranged for years and have not held a family seder in all that time. It is a family secret that threatens to come out and possibly ruin the business. Who wants to buy Passover food from a family that does not know how to throw their own seder.
As the plot thickens characters are developed who interact with Heather and her cousin Jake, who will be called on to participate in a seder. We learn who is Jewish and who is not. Who is religious and who has no knowledge about the religion they were born into. There is fun dialog about Judaism and references to social and religious topics. There are definitely stereotypical statements and misconceptions about Kashrut and other Jewish symbols and people.
In all it is entertaining and humorous ... not offending, but reminiscent of an earlier time...
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