Tamara Traeder Libros

Stories provided by women explore the loyalty and acceptance in their relationships with girlfriends, best friends, soulmates, and confidants

As important as friends are to women--essential, after all, to their identity as human beings--other roles in their lives get most of the ink: their lovers, spouses, children, and family. <i>Girlfriends</i> lovingly--and somewhat exhaustively--spotlights female comradeship. This book (which screams, "Buy me as a gift!") is simply a collection of women speaking about aspects of their female friendships to the indefatigable interviewer-slash-authors. Major topics of the book include girlhood adventures, friendships during transitions such as marriage and children, remembering friends, et cetera. In an odd little postscript, <i>Girlfriends</i> lists methods of female bonding such as theme parties, things with quilts and teacups, and other rituals. After all the words that precede it, such a section seems like gilding the lily.<p> Relationships with lovers (male or female) thrum with a sexual undertone that works against the special distanced intimacy of friendship. As <i>Girlfriends</i> never tires of pointing out, only another woman knows what it is like to be a woman. A powerful antidote to alienation, friendships are a prime ingredient in a woman's life well-lived.</p>