A Story of Friendship
A Fiction Collection
The fiction version of a friend is often the living room furniture, there to prop up your favorite female characters. Today we’re bringing those friends out from behind the curtains and right into the spotlight with a fiction collection about friendship. The bright side of friendship is a blast of sunshine that can soothe the worst pessimism, while the dark side is fodder for intense drama that will leave you reeling. Enjoy this diverse group of titles featuring contemporary friendships and historical ones, old women and young women, peaceful friendships and stormy ones - and then share this email with your own friends!
Heart Rhythms, Shuli Mensh - Touching, charming, and relatable, mothers and daughters turn to their friends when all else fails. Having been together through the hard times, Fraydelle and Rivka are excited to look ahead. Their daughters, Kayla and Tammy, are more hesitant. Kayla is unsure about the changes to come and what they mean for her. Tammy is looking into a glorious future with a fantastic guy, but doesn’t know what his murky family story means for her. A satisfying read with nuanced characters and a steady pace.
Scattered Blossoms, Gita Gordon - Changes unfurl quickly as the 20th century matures, and four friends are thrown apart, losing control of their own paths. As they each build new lives, they hold onto their connection for comfort and support, determined to see each other to safety and happiness. When there’s nothing left to do, they find the bonds between them stronger than circumstance, and their friendship takes on a different face as time goes on. A sprawling and refreshing saga set in rural Canada, urban England, and suburban South Africa.
Green Fences, Riva Pomerantz - Decoupling a dependent and competitive friendship is painful. Batya’s jealousy of her old friend Ruth has been simmering for years, and her reliance on her affects every fiber of her life. As she struggles to carve out a piece of her own identity and find the boundary that separates her from Perfect Ruth, conflicted loyalties and blurred priorities are called into question. An intense and fast-paced drama about untangling a mess.
It’s a Learning Curve, Gila Arnold - A down-to-earth novel about regular life that balances easy dialogue and everyday struggle with meaningful themes and character development. Three women overcome their insecurities to achieve a lifelong dream, but professional life introduces sharp dynamics into their friendships and brings their biggest differences to the fore.
Denver Dreams, Susie Garber - Susie Garber puts her characters’ flaws front and center, forcing us to root for them from the start. Starting as a typical 80’s baal teshuva story, Denver Dreams quickly moves into more personal territory as two seminary friends learn about each other's lives and come to lean on each other. The narrow plot follows the friendship from hesitant birth to slow sunset. A slow-paced and touching story of friendship, loss, and forgiveness. Its sequel, Befriend, follows the next generation, more teen-leaning.
Dual Secrets, Yael Mermelstein - Suspense meets gossip and friendship in a domestic thriller of secrets and shifting understanding. Though inseparable for years, when AJ and Devora are ready to share one last thing: their children, and pass their connection on to the next generation through marriage, the secrets come out. They’re forced to question their entire relationship and what it all means.
Tomorrow, Shuli Mensh - A fun and meandering tale of three friends determined to stay together. Each in a different stage of life, they support each other from afar while holding their challenges to themselves. Shuli deftly captures the relatable moments that make up the angst and joys of everyday life, adding dimension and a bold contemporary feel to the rich description and setting for an easy and delightful read.
Rule of Three, Esther Kurtz - Featured before and will no doubt be featured again: if you haven’t read this yet, get your hands on it. Unmatched depth of character evolution and personality set against a startlingly current backdrop, with banter that will delight any fan of dry humor. Three women are relearning the rules of life and when it’s time to break them. Abby needs to make friends to win a dare. Shifra thinks she has it all together until she doesn’t. Chana must become the role model she isn’t. Each with her own identity whose similarities to your own life will astonish you.
Fools Gold, Libby Lazewnik - A complicated story about entangled friendship, guilt, and boundaries. Esther grew up in the shadow of glamorous Yaffa Katz, by her own choice. Yaffa’s fresh tragedy hits her as guilt, obligation, and an opportunity to make up for missed connection. As she stretches herself to make her friend’s life easier, she slowly loses herself and ignores her own future. An engaging and light read.
Castle Builders, Menucha Chana Levin - A unique focus on a mature protagonist in her 70s lends to a rich and introspective read, with a slower pace as the action lies in the reflection of the past and not the present. Having survived harrowing experiences during the war and rebuilt her life, Simone is now comfortably ensconced in a familiar routine with her grandchildren, a close group of friends, and the beach. The door to the past is sealed until she meets a young Vietnamese refugee and is inspired by her open reflection on her past trauma.
Changing Tides, Devorah Weiner - A typical light and juicy story of vacation self-discovery takes a twist and spills past the plane ride. Four friends are hitting their 40th birthday and are as close as ever. Their long-awaited birthday vacation brings them together, but the secrets, challenges, and insecurities they would never dare share that surface change their perspective on each other and themselves.
Just Between Friends, Sara Weiderblank - The easy and compelling story opens on the eve of high school graduation, the first time life will take its own course. Later, the close friend group in the early phase of their adulthood confronts the contrast between reality and the dream life they had planned. Facing their quiet disappointments in how their life is turning out, they balance regret with acceptance and discard their ideal vision.
Aren't these old books?