The solace and comfort of true friendship — and the pain of its loss — can rival any romantic or familial relationship. In this collection, we present texts that examine the unique qualities and costs of deep friendships.
Publication year 1927
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Society: Immigration, Relationships: Friendship, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Society: Class
Tags Classic Fiction, Immigration / Refugee, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Action / Adventure, Satire, Class
Publication year 2020
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Relationships: Teams, Society: Community, Society: Class, Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance
Tags Sports, Race / Racism, History: U.S., African American Literature, History: World, Inspirational, Biography
Publication year 1964
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Literature, Relationships: Friendship
Tags Travel Literature, American Literature, French Literature, Classic Fiction, Biography
A Moveable Feast was written by Ernest Hemingway and published posthumously in 1964, three years after his death. The title, A Moveable Feast, is a play on the term used for holy days that do not consistently fall on the same date every year. The memoir’s structure mirrors this concept, featuring 20 separate yet related stories that make up Hemingway’s own collection of inconsistent holy days. The memoir blends fact with fiction as Hemingway recalls... Read A Moveable Feast Summary
Publication year 2015
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Relationships: Friendship, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Society: War
Tags Fantasy, Romance, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction
Book DetailAn Ember in the Ashes, published by Razorbill in 2015, is the first in Sabaa Tahir's An Ember in the Ashes series. The novel debuted at number two on the young adult New York Times best seller list and was also a USA Today and international bestselling book. In addition, TIME magazine named it one of the 100 Best Fantasy Books of all Time. It won the People’s Choice Award for favorite fantasy in... Read An Ember in the Ashes Summary
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Race, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags Race / Racism, Social Justice, History: World, Historical Fiction, Romance
Publication year 2003
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Friendship, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal
Tags Women's Studies (Nonfiction), Modern Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Humor
Publication year 1909
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Society: Community, Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Society: Education, Emotions/Behavior: Hope
Tags Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction
Anne of Avonlea, the second novel in the Anne of Green Gables series, is the heralded sequel that brings readers back to the second chapter in Anne Shirley’s life from age 16 to 18. First published in 1909 by Canadian author L.M. Montgomery, Anne of Avonlea is set in the latter part of the 19th century in fictional Avonlea, a small town on Prince Edward Island, Canada. Filled with many familiar characters from the first... Read Anne of Avonlea Summary
Publication year 1908
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship
Tags Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman
Anne of Green Gables is a world-renowned classic children’s novel first published in 1908 by Canadian author L. M. Montgomery. Set in the latter part of the 19th century in fictional Avonlea, a small town on Prince Edward Island, Canada, the story follows the accidental arrival of a precocious 11-year-old orphan girl, Anne Shirley, at Green Gables, the family homestead of middle-aged siblings Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert. Many mishaps, adventures, and ultimate successes follow Anne... Read Anne Of Green Gables Summary
Publication year 2016
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Music, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Relationships: Friendship
Tags Race / Racism, Historical Fiction
Another Brooklyn is a 2016 novel by Jacqueline Woodson. After the narrator, August, returns home to care for her dying father, she runs into her former friend Sylvia. This encounter leads her to reflect on her childhood in Brooklyn in the 1970s and the way she coped with her mother’s death. The novel unfolds in fragments: each chapter moves between August’s girlhood memories and adult life as an ivy-league educated anthropologist who studies cultural rituals... Read Another Brooklyn Summary
Publication year 1962
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship, Identity: Sexuality, Identity: Race, Emotions/Behavior: Love
Tags LGBTQ, Race / Racism, Love / Sexuality, Depression / Suicide, Relationships, Grief / Death, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Social Justice, American Literature, Classic Fiction
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Natural World: Food, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Family, Identity: Race, Life/Time: Coming of Age
Tags Realistic Fiction, Food, Children's Literature, Jewish Literature, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 1989
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Fate
Tags Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Historical Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Classic Fiction
John Irving’s A Prayer for Owen Meany (1989) is the novelist’s seventh and best-selling novel to date. Through a series of flashbacks, it tells the story of an unusually small boy with a strange voice named Owen Meany who believes himself to be specially chosen by God. Narrated by John Wheelwright, Owen’s best friend, the narrative alternates between the past—which begins in 1950s New Hampshire and extends to the late 1960s—and the present, Toronto in... Read A Prayer for Owen Meany Summary
Publication year 2021
Genre Novella, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Gratitude
Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Fantasy, LGBTQ, Action / Adventure, Mystery / Crime Fiction
Publication year 1970
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Grandparents, Relationships: Friendship
Tags Realistic Fiction, Children's Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Classic Fiction
Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret is a 1970 middle-grade novel by bestselling American author Judy Blume. The story focuses on 11-year-old Margaret Ann Simon and her family’s move to New Jersey at the beginning of her sixth-grade year. As Margaret navigates her new public school and new friend dynamics, she struggles to form a positive self-image about her changing body and starts exploring her religious beliefs. Although it was not Blume’s first novel... Read Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret Summary
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Natural World: Food, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Food, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2018
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Relationships: Friendship, Natural World: Space & The Universe
Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Fantasy
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Sexuality, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Relationships: Friendship, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Music, Values/Ideas: Literature
Tags LGBTQ, Romance, Historical Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2017
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Relationships: Friendship
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction
A Simple Favor is New York Times bestselling author Darcey Bell’s debut novel. Published in 2017 by Harper, the novel was praised for its chilling portrayals of its characters and shocking plot twists, and quickly became a New York Times bestseller. Bell followed this novel in 2020 with Something She’s Not Telling Us, cementing her reputation for domestic noir psychological thrillers. In 2018, A Simple Favor was adapted into a movie starring Blake Lively and... Read A Simple Favor Summary
Publication year 1964
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia
Tags LGBTQ, Love / Sexuality, Depression / Suicide, British Literature, History: World, Classic Fiction
Publication year 2014
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Relationships: Friendship, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Literature
Tags Fantasy, Magical Realism, Music, Relationships, Children's Literature