Whether through shared memories and laughter, or unwavering support in times of need, friendships form a core part of our lives. Yet, being a good friend is not always instinctive; it requires understanding and learning. Fortunately, books serves as a source of guidance on the intricacies of human relationships.
In this curated recommendation, we have compiled a list of seven books that will make you a better friend. These books explore empathy in navigating the complexities of love, loss, and grief; shared memories and experiences; and the importance of solid friendships.
Read our recommendations below.
BIRD SUMMONS
Author: LEILA ABOULELA
Genre: FICTION
When Salma, Moni, and Iman—friends and active members of their local Muslim Women’s group—decide to take a road trip together to the Scottish Highlands, they leave behind lives often dominated by obligation, frustrated desire, and dull predictability. Each wants something more out of life, but fears the cost of taking it. Salma is successful and happily married, but tempted to risk it all when she’s contacted by her first love back in Egypt; Moni gave up a career in banking to care for her disabled son without the help of her indifferent husband; and Iman, in her twenties and already on her third marriage, longs for the freedom and autonomy she’s never known. When the women are visited by the Hoopoe, a sacred bird from Muslim and Celtic literature, they are compelled to question their relationships to faith and femininity, love, loyalty, and sacrifice. In this novel, Leila Aboulela delivers a vibrant portrait of three women who embark on a journey of self-discovery while grappling with the conflicting demands of family, duty, and faith.
EVERYTHING GOOD WILL COME
AUTHOR: SEFI ATTA
GENRE: FICTION
It is 1971, a year after the Biafran War, and Nigeria is under military rule—though the politics of the state matter less than those of her home to Enitan Taiwo, an eleven-year-old girl tired of waiting for school to start. Will her mother, who has become deeply religious since the death of Enitan’s brother, allow her friendship with the new girl next door, the brash and beautiful Sheri Bakare? This novel charts the fate of these two African girls; one who is prepared to manipulate the traditional system and one who attempts to defy it.
Written in the voice of Enitan, the novel traces this unusual friendship into their adult lives, against the backdrop of tragedy, family strife, and a war-torn Nigeria. Everything Good Will Come is Enitan’s story; one of a fiercely intelligent, strong young woman coming of age in a culture that still insists on feminine submission. Enitan navigates familial and political systems until she is confronted with the one desire too precious to forfeit in the name of personal freedom: her desire for a child. This novel explores love, friendship, prejudice, survival, politics, and the cost of divided loyalties.
THESE IMPOSSIBLE THINGS
AUTHOR: SALMA EL-WARDANY
GENRE: FICTION
It has always been Malak, Kees, and Jenna against the world. Since childhood, under the watchful eyes of their parents, aunties and uncles, they’ve learned to live their own lives alongside the expectations of being good Muslim women. Staying over at a boyfriend’s place is disguised as a best friend’s sleepover, and tiredness can be blamed on studying instead of partying. They know they’re existing in a perfect moment. With growing older and the stakes of love and life growing higher, the delicate balancing act between rebellion and religion is becoming increasingly difficult to navigate.
Malak wants the dream: for her partner, community, and faith to coexist happily, and she wants this so much she’s willing to break her own heart to get it. Kees is in love with Harry, a white Catholic man who her parents can never know about. Jenna is the life of the party, always ready for new pleasures, even though she’s plagued by a loneliness she can’t shake. Through it all, they have always had each other. But as their college years come to a close, one night changes everything when harsh truths are revealed. As their lives begin to take different paths, Malak, Kees, and Jenna must find a way back to each other as they reconcile faith, family, and tradition with their own needs and desires.
TOMORROW DIED YESTERDAY
AUTHOR: CHIMEKA GARRICKS
GENRE: FICTION
It is 2004 in Port Harcourt, Nigeria, amidst the peak of oil worker kidnappings in the Niger Delta. In a botched kidnapping, four lives become entangled: Douye, also known as Doughboy, the career militant behind the crime; Amaibi, the gentle university professor and eco-warrior facing accusations; Kaniye, the lawyer turned restaurateur striving to defend Amaibi; and Tubo, an amoral oil company executive. Against a backdrop of corrupt practices, failed systems, and injustice, these four friends narrate the tale of oil in their region and its impact on local communities and Nigerian society at large. In his debut novel, Chimeka Garricks delivers a poignant story about the realities of contemporary Nigeria.
NIGHTBLOOM
AUTHOR: PEACE ADZO MEDIE
GENRE: FICTION
When Selasi and Akorfa were young girls in Ghana, they were more than just cousins; they were inseparable. Selasi was exuberant and funny, Akorfa quiet and studious. They would do anything for each other, imploring their parents to let them be together, sharing their secrets and desires and private jokes.
Then Selasi begins to change, becoming hostile and quiet; her grades suffer and she builds a space around herself, shutting Akorfa out. Meanwhile, Akorfa is accepted to an American university with the goal of becoming a doctor. Although hopeful that she can create a fuller life as a woman in America, she discovers the insidious ways that racism places obstacles in her path once she leaves Ghana. It takes a crisis to bring the friends back together, with Selasi’s secret revealed and Akorfa forced to reckon with her role in their estrangement.
Longlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction, Nightbloom is a riveting depiction of class and family in Ghana, a compelling exploration of memory, and an eye-opening story of life as an African-born woman in the United States. It is ultimately a gripping and beautifully written novel about the strength of female bonds.
BIG FRIENDSHIP: HOW WE KEEP EACH OTHER CLOSE
AUTHORS: AMINATOU SOW AND ANN FRIEDMAN
GENRE: NON-FICTION
Aminatou Sow and Ann Friedman tell the story of their messy and life-affirming friendship in this honest and hilarious book that chronicles their first decade in one another’s lives. As the hosts of the hit podcast, *Call Your Girlfriend*, they’ve become known for frank and intimate conversations. In this book, they bring that energy to their own friendship—its joys and its pitfalls.
Sow and Friedman define ‘Big Friendship’ as a strong, significant bond that transcends life phases, geographical locations, and emotional shifts. And they should know: the two have had moments of charmed bliss and deep frustration, of profound connection and gut-wrenching alienation. They have weathered life-threatening health scares, getting fired from their dream jobs, and one unfortunate Thanksgiving dinner eaten in a car in a parking lot in Rancho Cucamonga. Through interviews with friends and experts, they have come to understand that their struggles are not unique. And that the most important part of a ‘Big Friendship’ is making the decision to invest in one another again and again. This book will invite you to think about how your own bonds are formed, challenged, and preserved. It is a call to value your friendships in all of their complexity.
CO-WIVES, CO-WIDOWS
AUTHOR: ADRIENNE YABOUZA
GENRE: FICTION
Set in Bangui, Central African Republic, this is the tale of Ndongo Passy and Grekpoubou, the two widows of Lidou. After their husband’s sudden and mysterious death, they find themselves fiercely battling for all that matters to them. Co-Wives, Co-Widows is a poignant narrative filled with dry wit and vibrant imagery, set against the backdrop of political instability, corruption, and the clash between tradition and modernity.