Praise for Big Friendship

Named one of the most anticipated books of 2020 by Vogue, Elle, People, Yahoo, and Bitch. A New York Times Book Review Editors’ Choice.

A “thoughtful and highly readable story.” - The New York Times Book Review

“A soul-searching reflection that delivers an emotional journey.” -Kirkus Reviews

“In a culture that primarily values romantic or familial relationships, Big Friendship: How We Keep Each Other Close is a necessary corrective. Aminatou Sow and Ann Friedman offer a deeply compelling book that is part clear-eyed and poignant memoir of a big, invaluable friendship and part frank manifesto on how to nurture the important friendships in our lives in good times and bad. In each chapter, Sow and Friedman demonstrate how they navigate the nuances of their long-standing friendship with elegance, warmth, and generosity. This is the kind of book that makes you want to reach out to your best, biggest friends to say thank you, thank you, thank you for walking in this world with me. As with your big friendships, this unforgettable book is one you will want to keep close.” - Roxane Gay, author of Hunger and Bad Feminist

“Big Friendship is a loving, thoughtful and extremely frank examination of the rich and rocky terrain of women’s friendships. It takes as its subject the committed social bonds that sustain and frustrate us as much (or more!) as any of the sexual and familial ties that we've been trained to take more seriously. Here, friendship gets the emotional and intellectual respect it deserves; and like any truly great love story, Ann’s and Amina’s is a page turner. I love this book. “ - Rebecca Traister, author of Good and Mad and All the Single Ladies

“Big Friendship is an anatomy of the way one particular friendship works, but it is also an argument for taking all amicable relationships more seriously, for understanding them in the terms we usually reserve for romance (the authors share their “meet cute” and discuss the “spark” and “chemistry” between them), and for appreciating the sometimes difficult and time-consuming work it takes to maintain these friendships.” - Vogue

“A deeply funny and immensely heartfelt look into what makes a friendship last despite time, distance, trials and major life changes. “ - Elle

““This is an instructive, humbling, and reassuring guidebook to Big Friendship in all its hard work and outsize glory; through both tears and laughter, readers will see themselves in it, and be glad.”” Booklist

"At its heart, this book is about the power of friendship. In a wonderful and intimate portrayal, “Big Friendship” shines a light on how being a friend can be just as eye-opening, challenging, and joyful as being a parent or a partner -- and how it can make you your best self. Aminatou and Ann’s story is as universal as it is revolutionary.” - Hillary Rodham Clinton

“Love can be passionate—transformative, painful, enlivening, bone-deep—without being erotic. In this openhearted book, Aminatou Sow and Ann Friedman show us how a friendship can be as rewarding and enduring as a marriage, and they urge us to value it accordingly—as they clearly do. These women we love to listen to give us the gift of a look inside their intimacy, with all its challenges, and it is an inspiration.” - Ariel Levy, author of The Rules Do Not Apply

"This book is a hilarious coming-of-age story, a heartfelt manifesto, and an ode to the magic of friendship. In Big Friendship, Ann and Aminatou approach one of the most important - but often undervalued - relationships in life with honesty, humor, and clarity. It will make you laugh, it will make you cry, and - yes - it will make you want to call your girlfriend." - Cecile Richards, author of Make Trouble

“So smart, so funny, so honest -- it will change the way you think about friendship! And here's a prediction: Someday soon the stages of Big Friendship will be as iconic and examined as the stages of courtship or grief.” - Jade Chang, author of The Wangs Vs. The World

"Long before all friendships became socially distanced, Aminatou and Ann were showing us how to do it — with radical honesty, vulnerability, and wit. I’ve learned so much from them over the years about how to be a friend, a feminist, and a person in the world, and we’re all so lucky they decided to share their wisdom with the world with this essential book." - Irin Carmon, co-author of Notorious RBG: The Life and Times of Ruth Bader Ginsburg  

“Although Big Friendship is, of course, about an incredible friendship between two brilliant and accomplished women, this book could also be called Big Love, Big Ambitions, Big Make Sure You're Not Just Coasting On The Past—you name it. With the hilarity, inspiration, and realness which fans of their Call Your Girlfriend podcast have come to expect, Ann Friedman and Aminatou Sow turn a loving but no less clear-eyed gaze onto their relationship. Their nuanced, honest perspective—plus lots of personal anecdotes and actually useful tips!—on everything that makes a real friendship tick (and what do to when it... doesn’t) is a gift to any reader who wants to keep and deepen their friendships. Big Friendship shows us how vital, complicated, and joyful it is to have close friends, and accordingly reminds us to prioritize and nurture our own—with all that friends do and are to us, why should romantic love get to take up all the space on the shelf?” - Saeed Jones and Isaac Fitzgerald

“Big Friendship offers a rare and informative close-up look at how two smart women learned to navigate the bewildering intricacies of modern friendship. The compassion and open- hearted learning on display here will stay with you for a long time, and remind you of just how transformative close friendships can be.” - Heather Havrilesky, author of Ask Polly, What If This Were Enough? and How to Be a Person in the World

"Joyous, vulnerable, honest, and moving, Aminatou and Ann's exploration of their influential friendship is a personal memoir, a platonic love story, and a guide for anyone who has or seeks their level of sustained connection." - J. Ryan Stradal, author of Kitchens of the Great Midwest and The Lager Queen of Minnesota

"Aminatou Sow and Ann Friedman are the patron saints of friendship." - Bustle