This post was originally published on Audible.com.
Leslie Knope of Parks and Recreation gave us so much, but perhaps her greatest contribution was the invention of Galentine’s Day: a celebration of female friendship. Valentine’s Day can bring with it a lot of pressure, but your relationship status doesn’t matter on Galentine’s Day. It’s an opportunity to celebrate and honour the friendships in your life, and if you’re a book nerd like me, that includes book besties. These 9 listens include some of the most iconic friendships in literature, and I’d welcome any of these ladies at my GD brunch table. So grab your headphones, some waffles (if you really want to be an OG like Leslie), and embrace the spirit of Galentine’s Day this February 13!
I mean, the Galentine’s Day vibes are right there in the title. Elena Ferrante’s renowned series is dedicated to the complexities of female friendship, as we watch the relationship between Lenù and Lila evolve over decades (and across four novels, all beautifully performed by Hillary Huber) against a backdrop of post-WWII Italy.
They’re sisters, but they’re also best friends: the March girls of Louisa May Alcott’s classic gave me intense FOMO as an only child. I used to make my cousins play Little Women with me—we’d fight over who got to be Jo, and loser would have to play Beth (IYKYK). This full-cast production makes you feel like you’re with the sisters in their New England living room, playing pretend and manifesting a bigger life with the power of your imagination.
My own gal pal (and fellow editor!) Emily recommended this one to me, and for that I will always be mad at her/eternally grateful. This is a gorgeous story of friendship during WWII that absolutely cracked my heart open—at one point I was crying so hard I had to pull over on the side of the road. But please don’t let that deter you—it’s absolutely worth it.
Few things hook me like an epistolary novel, and The Color Purple is a story that should be enjoyed by all women. Winner of both the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award, Alice Walker’s classic is both heart-wrenching and uplifting, underscoring the importance of friendship and sisterhood, and the lifeline that both can be.
Amy Tan’s beloved novel underscores the power of storytelling and the way that it can both fracture and heal. The women of the Joy Luck Club—a group of four Chinese immigrants who come together in friendship to play mahjong, talk and support one another—share their stories to try and help their daughters understand them, but also to give their daughters different, and better, futures.
This debut novel from journalist Kate Fagan has become my new obsession. Annie and Amanda have a transcendent friendship—everyone in their orbit can see the deep love and connection that flows between them. But then tragedy strikes, and their carefully planned future fractures. Performed by a full cast, this multiple-timelines narrative will have you rooting for Amanda and Annie/Cass/Cate until the very last (listen and you’ll appreciate the genius of this pun).
Phew, the way Ann Brashares's series had a stronghold on an entire generation (shout-out to my fellow millennials)—I don’t know that I ever fully recovered. Carmen, Tibby, Lena and Bridget are intensely different, but have been bonded since birth (or really even earlier, when their moms met in a prenatal class). The series leans into the angst of young adulthood, and traces the ways the girls grow apart and then together again (all while being connected by a magical pair of ... jeans. Trust me, it works).
Few things can bond you faster than a shared secret, and nobody knows that better than the moms of Pirriwee Public School. Liane Moriarty’s propulsive, twisty novel reached stratospheric heights when it was brought to the small screen by Reese Witherspoon and Nicole Kidman, and reimagined on the coast of California. But the Sydney, Australia-set original is not to be missed. Join Madeline, Celeste, Jane and the rest of the Pirriwee crew as they navigate marriage, friendship, parenthood ... and murder.
Speaking of murder, who better to have at your Galentine’s Day brunch table than a group of women you know would help you cover up an accidental crime? Meddy Chan’s meddling aunties come to her rescue in Jesse Q. Sutanto’s delightful rom-com/murder mystery (what a combo!) Dial A for Aunties. It’s Crazy Rich Asians meets Weekend at Bernie’s, and Risa Mei’s narration perfectly plays up the absurdist humour.
