Grown-Up Girlfriends (book review)

Last semester at JBU during one of the Women of Walker nights, Erin Smalley from JBU's Center for Relationship Enrichment came to talk to us about how to be "grown-up" girlfriends (this is a girl-girl friendship kind, not a girl-guy kind). I really liked what she had to say, so I soon went down to the bookstore and bought the book she wrote with her friend Carrie Oliver. I finally read it this summer! And it is a very good book.

Book info:

Title - Grown-Up Girlfriends: Finding and Keeping Real Friends in the Real World

Authors - Erin Smalley and Carrie Oliver

Publisher - Tyndale House Publishers, 2007

Paperback, 13 chapters, 223 pages

My review of it:

This is a terrific book that takes a good look at how to have deeper and more lasting friendships. Writing from a Biblical Christian perspective, Erin and Carrie discuss various characteristics of friendships that are "grown-up" rather than childish and selfish. The chapters include subjects such as "The Grown-Up Girlfriend Experiences Levels of Intimacy," "The Grown-Up Girlfriend Embraces Differences," and "The Grown-Up Girlfriend Forgives." The authors use many real life examples, both from their own lives and from other's, to illustrate their points. Each chapter has several reflection questions at the end to help the reader apply the principles to her own life.

I know for me, this book pointed out some of the ways that I could be negatively impacting my friendships through my selfish actions. Some of the things I hadn't ever thought of before, or hadn't quite pin pointed what I was feeling. It took me a while to get through this book - it's not really a difficult read, it's just a little meatier than some books are.

If you feel like you're missing out on something - if you feel like you don't have any really good friends, I would highly suggest reading this book. It can help you think through how you approach and maintain friendships.