Who we are

Our owner, Andie Ayers, has lived in Fredericksburg since 2006. Best known for founding a local nonprofit called Fairy Godmother Project that serves families facing pediatric cancer, Andie has decided to take on a new venture with Novel. As an educator, reader and connector at heart, launching Novel feels like the perfect next chapter for her as she is on the edge of empty nesting.

As you explore our offerings, where personalized book recommendations and private consultations redefine your literary experience. Let us help you choose books and host your book clubs all while being part of a community of readers. Get ready to discover books that resonate with your unique taste and the taste of your book clubs and groups, all curated just for you!

I am Andie, the owner and creator of Grief Girlfriend. For over a decade, as the Co-Founder and Executive Director of Fairy Godmother Project, I dedicated my time to understanding the impact of pediatric cancer diagnoses on families, particularly caregivers. Through observation, surveys, and conversations, I realized that grief goes beyond loss associated with death, prompting me to delve deeper into grief support. I read books, attended seminars, asked questions, and opened myself more to learning from others. I began to better understand that most hard things are grief and people want to be seen and heard, not fixed. I asked the caregivers, who became my friends, what people could do better and geared FGP’s training and interactions around their suggestions and experiences. This information and knowledge carried over into my personal life and I became the girlfriend everyone came to when they wanted to say the right thing or send a gift to a griever in their life. Hence, the name Grief Girlfriend.

And then, in December 2022, as I was leaving the role of Executive Director of FGP, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. No longer the helper, I was now the one needing help. After years of reminding people that accepting help from someone was a gift to the helper, I had to remind myself. It was an uncomfortable & humbling place to be. Essentially, I experienced what had been shared with me for years: many people say the wrong thing because they really don’t know how to support someone facing grief.

Grief Girlfriend is my answer to the need for a better understanding of grief and how to intentionally support grievers while helping people get comfortable being ‘in the and’.

Thank you for being here.