ESTRANGED
I am pleased to announce publication of my new nonfiction book, Estranged: How Strained Female Friendships are Mended or Ended. The complexities of female friendships have always intrigued me and I wanted to write this project for a long while. When I began my research several years ago, I kept hearing stories of women breaking up with a close friend or sister. Although we are taught that our female bonds are meant to last forever—shown to us in celebrity culture, film and fiction— in reality the closest ones do falter. To this end, I interviewed a diverse group of 150 women, ranging in age from twenty to eighty, from across the country, to learn what had happened with a once cherished friend. Why had things fallen apart and how did they feel about it? Many of my interviewees, both those who decided to leave the friendship and those who were left behind, spoke of sadness, sure, but also of being set free. In their candid confessions of betrayal and grief, what emerges is a positive new trend —the bold step of letting go. Despite that we’ve been encouraged to preserve our female friendships at any cost, making a break is a form of loyalty to oneself over loyalty to a friendship that no longer is happy or healthy. Estranged is an investigation and a guide for women navigating murky waters of suboptimal friendships with a twist — estrangement can be powerful.
My ongoing campaign for Estranged for spring/ summer/ fall 2025 includes the northeast and Florida, zoom events, book clubs and connecting with readers. Please reach out to my contact page if you are interested in having me at your reading group or organization. The event schedule is here on my website and I look forward to hearing from you.
