Never Meant to Meet You: A Novel

Written by Alli Frank and Asha Youmans

Narrated by Bahni Turpin

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.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Brilliance Audio
• Release date: Oct 1, 2022
• ISBN: 9781713668855

Alli Frank

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.

Reviews for Never Meant to Meet You

[bettytaylor56 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I really enjoyed this great story of friendship, family, loss, and healing. I laughed my way through much of it.The characters are awesome! Marjette Lewis, a divorced strong Southern, Baptist, Black woman, lives next door to newly widowed Noa Abrams, who happens to be Jewish. Noa’s daughter Esty is in Marjette’s kindergarten class. Then there is Noa’s hot brother Max. And Marjette’s longtime bestie and Weight Watchers pal Judy. These characters felt so real! They brought out a variety of emotions in me as I read the book.Marjette had a firm rule of not getting friendly with her students’ mothers. Stay in your own lane, Marjette! But she just could not help it with Noa. They develop a bond as they both deal with being a single parent. Marjette has years of experience raising her teenage son Darius alone. But as she encourages Noa to move on from the death of her husband, Marjette recognizes she needs to move on from her ex-husband’s unfaithfulness. Together, Marjette and Noa set out to reclaim their lives.Two of my favorite quotes – “That’s right; us queens should always adjust each other’s crowns.” - “Let me tell you, life’s too short to be thinking about somebody who ain’t thinking about you.”Being Jewish, I could easily relate to Noa. And one of my besties is Black and she loved the cultural references.

[bookscookslooks · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Never Meant to Meet You is a change from my usual historical fiction books and I must say that it was rather enjoyable. What you have is a story of women and how friendships can develop.Marjette and Noa are an unlikely pair to forge a bond of friendship but they do, finding that they have far more in common than they could have ever thought. As they navigate the changes in their lives they will be glad for the other to be there even though it was never expected to be.This is a book that surprises with the fun characters and fascinating story featuring themes that impact us all….love, loss, betrayal and friendship.*I received a free copy for my honest review