Audiobook Review: Meeting New People by Daniel M. Lavery, Narrated by Marcia Gay Harden

Meeting New People by Daniel M. Lavery, 

Narrated by Marcia Gay Harden

Blurb from Goodreads:

From the author of the national bestseller Women’s Hotel, the irresistible and wildly entertaining story of one woman contending with age and friendship—a narrative that reads like an homage to Nora Ephron’s Heartburn.

Sixtysomething, twice-divorced Barbara is at a crossroads. In the midst of her emotional uncertainty, she looks back on the dissolution of the nine best friendships of her life, in hopes of figuring out how to optimize finding her tenth, and hopefully last, best friend. Barbara is acerbic, opinionated, and wrong about many things, but she also doesn't shy away when she's at fault. The turning point of her predicament comes from Barbara’s choice, in friends, between (too-young) Caitlyn and the (unsuitable) Other Barbara. Will she repeat the exciting mistakes of the past, or will she try a new kind of mistake for a change? She feels like an out-of-season Scrooge who is unexpectedly, and all at once, surprised and entirely transformed by the possibility of joy.

For readers who loved Bobby Finger's The Old Place and Elif Batuman's Either/Or, Meeting New People will feel like a long-lost companion—Lavery at the height of his storytelling powers. It is an unforgettable novel from one of our most inventive and brilliant writers.

 This was so fastidious, like its main character, but also so perfect! I really enjoyed it and the narrator was absolutely amazing.  This is definitely cerebral literary fiction told from one POV and mostly through inner monologue but I enjoyed it immensely. Give this a listen!!

Meeting New People comes out tomorrow on June 2, 2026 and you can purchase HERE.  

I honestly believe that there are no longer any great, really great, barn burning friendships because you can get everything delivered these days.  Nobody needs anybody.  Not when they can just pay for it.