Asha Youmans

Alli Frank

At thirty-nine, Josie's modelling career is far behind her. Now director of admissions at a San Francisco private school, she's determined to keep her seventeen-year-old daughter Etta out of trouble. But Etta's passion for ballet has her envisioning a different future than the one her mother has planned. Meanwhile, Josie's best friend thinks Josie needs to start dating... but the only eye candy around is a gay dad. As the admissions season winds down, those closest to Josie turn out to be full of surprises, and Etta's future might have more to do with Josie's past than she thought.

Tiny Imperfections

From comedy writing duo Alli Frank and Asha Youmans comes The Better Half, a sidesplitting spin on reaching the pinnacle of life, only to stare down a slippery slope on the other side. After a difficult five years, at age forty-three, Nina Morgan Clarke's time has finally arrived. With an ex-husband relocated across the country, her father bouncing back after the loss of his beloved wife, and her daughter, Xandra, thriving at boarding school, Nina is stepping into her dream job as a trifecta: a first-generation, Black female head of the storied Royal-Hawkins School. To mark the moment, Nina and her best friend, Marisol, take a long-overdue girl's trip to celebrate the second half of Nina's life--which is shaping up to be the best part of her life. As Nina's school year gets underway, all seems to be progressing as planned. Before long, wunder-hire Jared Jones, two hundred pounds of Harvard-educated ego, relentlessly pushes Nina to her ethical limits. Soon after, dutiful Xandra accuses one of her teachers of misconduct. And most alarming, the repercussions of her trip with Marisol force Nina into a life-altering choice. Time is of the essence, and Nina must decide if she will embrace a future she never could have predicted.

The Better Half

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.

Alli Frank

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