Wednesday, January 04, 2006

The Friendship Test by Elizabeth Noble

Title: The Friendship Test

Author: Elizabeth Noble

Genre: Chick Lit

Summary: When women have been friends since college secrets are bound to be had and discovered. The boundaries of friendship are tested as the groups' dynamics shift over the next twenty years. The starting point for the confrontation is death, divorce and overseas travel.

The Take-Away: Amazing characters. The four women that dominate this novel have fantastic voices that are readily recognizable from one another. Each of these women have amazing strengths, and weaknesses, that color them. Their foibles are skillfully laid out and lead to a realistic resolution. If only we all could be so lucky as to have friends that bond over the years as tighly as these women do.

At times it was challenging to remember that they were characters in a novel. When I wasn't reading, I wondered what the next chapter would reveal about their history and their future. Ms Noble ties the relavent pieces of the past with the current events. The two threads of the story are balanced until they converge with the final secret confessed.

This is Ms Noble second novel. Her first, The Reading Club, has been surpassed by her second.

Recommendation: If you haven't read The Reading Club yet, pick up both and enjoy.

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