Never Meant to Meet You

From the authors of Tiny Imperfections comes a riotously funny, emotionally real look at race and religion, love and heartache, and the realities of parenting through it all. Self-appointed fixer of other people's woes Marjette Lewis is uncharacteristically determined to keep to her side of the driveway when it comes to her flawless neighbor Noa Abrams. Professionally, Marjette has her hands full as she prepares for a new class of kindergarteners and her first year of teaching without her best friend, Judy, as campus "Black-up." And at home, her son's budding manhood challenges her expectations, and her vexing ex-husband continues to be a thorn in her side. But when tragedy strikes Marjette's street, and an unexpected child shows up on the first day of school with an uncle who has all the class moms aflutter, Marjette is forced to contend with both her neighbor and her own heartache over losing the life she once thought was guaranteed. Through laughter, tears, and the gift of found family, Marjette and Noa navigate the rituals of loss together and discover the strength to remake their lives--whether they meant to or not.

About the Author :
Alli Frank has worked in education for more than twenty years, from boisterous public high schools to small, progressive private schools. A graduate of Cornell and Stanford University, Alli lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and two daughters. With Asha Youmans, she is the coauthor of Tiny Imperfections and is a contributing essayist in the anthology Moms Don't Have Time to: A Quarantine Anthology. Asha Youmans spent two decades teaching elementary school students. A graduate of University of California, Berkeley, Asha lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and two sons. With Alli Frank, she is the coauthor of Tiny Imperfections. For more information visit the authors at www.alliandasha.com. Alli Frank has worked in education for more than twenty years, from boisterous public high schools to small, progressive private schools. A graduate of Cornell and Stanford University, Alli lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and two daughters. With Asha Youmans, she is the coauthor of Tiny Imperfections and is a contributing essayist in the anthology Moms Don't Have Time to: A Quarantine Anthology. Asha Youmans spent two decades teaching elementary school students. A graduate of University of California, Berkeley, Asha lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and two sons. With Alli Frank, she is the coauthor of Tiny Imperfections. For more information visit the authors at www.alliandasha.com.

Review :
"Narrator Bahni Turpin depicts Noa and Marjette's deepening friendship, employing her chameleon-like facility for accents and voices to portray a wide range of characters, from Max, Noa's handsome brother, to five-year-old Esty. Turpin's sensitive narration immerses listeners in Marjette's world, empathetically revealing her ongoing struggles to recover from her divorce and reclaim her life." --Library Journal "As these neighboring families blend, the authors do a good job exploring the common ground between African American and Jewish experiences: the characters feel like real people with racial and religious identities that inform their worldviews, but don't define them...It's an impressive feat sure to move romance fans and women's fiction readers alike." --Publishers Weekly (starred review) "Friendship and romance go hand in hand in this warm, engaging story that should appeal to readers who enjoy novels by Susan Wiggs and Debbie Macomber." --Library Journal "[A] sparkling story of unlikely friendship." --Booklist