Never Meant To Meet You

Coauthors Frank and Youmans return with a second collaborative novel (following Tiny Imperfections) that highlights an unlikely friendship and a blossoming romance. Single mother Marjette Lewis meant to keep her distance from her neighbor, Noa Abrams, but the two women—one Black, one Jewish—are brought together when Noa is unexpectedly widowed. A kindergarten teacher at a private school, Marjette is getting ready for the opening of the school year, when she discovers that Noa’s grieving daughter, Esty, is a student in her new class. Esty comes complete with a heartthrob uncle who has all the kindergarten moms drooling. 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.