Just Haven't Met You Yet(102)

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Publishing Credits


   PUTNAM/US TEAM


        Kate Dresser—Editor

    Nishtha Patel—Marketer

    Kristen Bianco—Publicist

    Tricja Okuniewska—Assistant editor

    Sydney Cohen—Associate publicist

    Sanny Chiu—Jacket designer

    Monica Cordova—Art director

    Sally Kim—Publisher

    Ashley McClay—Marketing director

    Alexis Welby—Publicity director

    Meredith Dros—Managing editor

    Maija Baldauf—Associate managing editor

    Hannah Dragone—Production manager

    Erica Rose—Production editor

    Tiffany Estreicher—Interior designer





          Just Haven’t Met You Yet

   SOPHIE COUSENS



   Discussion Questions



   Jersey Wonders Recipe





Discussion Questions


         The heroine of Just Haven’t Met You Yet, Laura, is a journalist specializing in all things love. What do we know about her love life? How does her job inform her outlook on life?



     We learn early on that Laura is very attached to her parents’ epic romance. How did her parents meet, and how does their love story dictate what Laura wants in her own life? Why does she decide to write an article about them?



     When Laura accidentally picks up the wrong suitcase at Jersey airport, she is convinced that she has found her soulmate. What would you do with the suitcase if you were in Laura’s shoes? What items would convince you you’d found your soulmate?



     Though Laura enjoys certain elements of her job as a journalist, she doesn’t find real fulfillment in it. What is her true calling, and how does she come to realize that?



     Ted, the cabdriver who ferries Laura around Jersey for her article, has a complicated romantic past himself. What were your first impressions of Ted, and what do we come to learn about his gruff demeanor?



     The majority of Just Haven’t Met You Yet takes place in Jersey, which is part of the Channel Islands in the UK. Why is it a special place for Laura, and what were your first impressions of it? How does the sense of community play into the story?



     This novel is full of wonderful and vivid secondary characters, including Laura’s family, friends, and the residents of Jersey. Who were some of your favorites, and why?



     There are excerpts of Tiger Woman and the Jersey Evening News interspersed throughout the novel. How did these elements play into your understanding of the story? What did you make of the ways in which these texts came together, and what surprised you?



     Discuss the differences between Jasper and Ted. How does Laura grapple with those differences throughout the book? Why does she make the choice she does?



     How important is the theme of memory in the novel? Laura’s mother believes objects can be conduits for memory. Does Laura believe this too? How does her emotional investment in objects change as the story goes on?



     What do you think is in store for Laura and the life she pursues at the end of the book?





Jersey Wonders (Des Mèrvelles)


Makes: 40 wonders

Preparation time: 2 hours 45 minutes (including 2 hours resting time)


6 cups self-rising flour

1 stick (4 oz.) cold, unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces

1 cup superfine sugar

A pinch of nutmeg (optional)

6 medium eggs

Vegetable oil, for frying

Sift the flour into a large bowl and rub in the butter until the mixture resembles bread crumbs. Add the sugar (and nutmeg if you are including it).

Whisk the eggs and add to the mixture. Begin stirring with a wooden spoon, but as it comes together, use your hands to form a light dough.

Turn the dough onto a floured surface and briefly knead until smooth; this will take less than 5 minutes.

Lightly dust a tray with flour. Using floured hands, form the dough into golf ball–sized shapes. Place these on the tray, cover with a damp cloth, and let rest for 2 hours.