Review: THE FRIENDS WE KEEP by Jane Green

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

THE FRIENDS WE KEEP Review

Jane Green’s latest novel The Friends We Keep is a beautiful and moving story about the ups and downs as we move through life and the friends we make while on the journey.  It follows Evvie, Maggie, and Topher, who met during their first year of college and became fast friends.  The story tracks each of them through life, from those carefree college years where the three of them lived together like one big happy family to those years after college when life just got in the way and they drifted apart.  The Friends We Keep really resonated with me because of its central themes about friendship – first, the idea that no matter how far friends drift apart, they always find their way back to each other, and second, a true friend will always find a way to forgive you, even if you make a seemingly unforgiveable mistake.

All three of the main characters drew me in right away because their lives were just so messy and complicated.  While their career paths (Evvie becomes a model and Topher becomes an actor) aren’t necessarily all that easy to relate to, the highs and lows they experience, the bad choices they sometimes make along the way, and the regrets that follow are all too relatable.  Green writes each of their stories with an authenticity that I think will resonate with many readers, especially those with similar lifelong friendships. As I was reading about Evvie, Topher, and Maggie, I was also constantly thinking about my own best friends and how much I treasure them.

I don’t want to give away anything about the overall plot of the story or the character’s individual journeys – you can read the synopsis for more details – but I did want to talk about one final theme that resonated with me.  Even though The Friends We Keep is a beautiful story about friendship, it does have its share of dark moments as the characters experience some of life’s lows and disappointments.  The message Jane Green so wonderfully conveys though is that it’s never too late for a second chance at happiness or to follow a new dream if your original dream doesn’t pan out.  Maybe it’s because of my age and where I am in life, but that message really hit home for me as I was reading.

I just started reading Jane Green’s novels last year but she is fast becoming a favorite of mine because her stories about family and friendships are so heartfelt and relatable.  If you’re in the mood for a story about life and the true meaning of friendship, give The Friends We Keep a try.

GOODREADS SYNOPSIS:

The Friends We Keep is the warm and wise new novel from Jane Green, New York Times bestselling author of The Sunshine Sisters and The Beach House.

Evvie, Maggie, and Topher have known each other since university. Their friendship was something they swore would last forever. Now years have passed, the friends have drifted apart, and none of them ever found the lives they wanted – the lives they dreamed of when they were young and everything seemed possible.

Evvie starved herself to become a supermodel but derailed her career by sleeping with a married man.

Maggie married Ben, the boy she fell in love with at university, never imagining the heartbreak his drinking would cause.

Topher became a successful actor but the shame of a childhood secret shut him off from real intimacy.

By their thirtieth reunion, these old friends have lost touch with each other and with the people they dreamed of becoming. Together again, they have a second chance at happiness… until a dark secret is revealed that changes everything.

The Friends We Keep is about how despite disappointments we’ve had or mistakes we’ve made, it’s never too late to find a place to call home.