Friends and Strangers by J. Courtney Sullivan Published by Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group on June 30, 2020
Genres: Coming of Age, Family Life, Fiction, General, Women
Pages: 416
Format: eARC
Goodreads
Elisabeth is struggling to embrace many changes in her life. An established journalist and now a new mother, she and her husband are adjusting to living in a small town after living in New York city for over two decades.
Reluctant to form new relationships, her connection to their previous life remains. She aimlessly scrolls through her Brooklyn moms' Facebook group. Her best friend still lives in Brooklyn and they connect largely through text messages. Though she has a looming book deadline, she has no interest (or time) to work on it.
Sam is a senior at the local women's college. Elisabeth hires her to allow her more time to write, but time to herself as well. An artist, Sam has a path for her future laid out, as long as her student loan debt permits it. An unplanned romance attempts to put a detour on that path to the future and Sam finds herself in a dilemma about which route to take.
Elisabeth and Sam soon form a bond that goes beyond babysitter and employer. Unfortunately, their vastly different backgrounds become readily apparent, requiring them to take a step back to regroup and refocus on their individual paths.
I’ve been a fan of Sullivan’s work for some time. She excels at crafting dynamic, yet flawed characters and strong relationships. What she has crafted with Sam and Elisabeth is so real, so genuine. I quickly forgot they were fictional characters. Though I’m long beyond the new mom or college student years, each of these characters resonated with me. I most certainly experienced many of the things that they each endured, struggling with identity and purpose at monumental phases in my life. Both women are forced to question whether they can/should strive for their goals while the demands of relationships weigh heavily on their minds.
Sullivan manages to weave issues about money, class, marriage, and more into this truly dynamic read. While many people reach for light and fluffy reads for the summer, I reach for the ones that make me think. For this reason, I wholeheartedly believe that this title should top your must-read books of summer list. Highly, highly recommended.
