bookaddict reviewed The Friend Who Got Away: Twenty Women's True-Life Tales of Friendships That Blew Up, Burned Out, or Faded Away on
Helpful Score: 2
Twenty thoughtful, true accounts of women's friendships that ended; all different, all affecting.
Judith M. (mummamillah) reviewed The Friend Who Got Away: Twenty Women's True-Life Tales of Friendships That Blew Up, Burned Out, or Faded Away on + 5 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
This book surprised me. I expected it to be exclusively about adult women's friendships with other adult women, but it explored a variety of friendships, including women's friendships with men and adult women looking back on friendships they had as children. The most interesting for me was two adjacent chapters, written by two different women, about their friendship with each other--it was amazing that I was most of the way through the second account before I realized they were talking about the same friendship! Then I had to go back and reread them both, and still it seemed like they were telling two largely unrelated stories. I was also surprised (and a little depressed) by the wide variety of ways in which friendships can end--it made me scrutinize my own friendships in ways that were not necessarily helpful. Overall, a real eye-opener, but not necessarily of the feel-good variety. Nevertheless, worth a read.
Bea J. (larenda) reviewed The Friend Who Got Away: Twenty Women's True-Life Tales of Friendships That Blew Up, Burned Out, or Faded Away on + 5 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
Having experienced a blow-up of a long time friendship I was having a hard time getting over it. I read this book to try to get answers to help with my confusion over the whole ordeal. I found what I was looking for, and more. In The Friend Who Got Away twenty women wrote of their true life stories of friendships that blew-up, burned out, or faded away. I found a handful of stories that I could completely identify with and embrace, a couple that were totally revolting to me (consider yourself forewarned), and a few that were eye-opening. I was pleasantly surprised to read of women of other cultures tell their stories, in fact one in particular became my favorite. This book was worth my time and effort to read it and I would recommend it (with the 2 or 3 exceptions) for women who are seeking and taking steps towards healing. It's not the 'be-all' and 'end-all' of things relational, but it helped me.
