Friendships over everything! Books that celebrate female friendships

To say friends are the family we choose is cliched but true. Of course, as we grow older, our understanding of what friendship entails changes. From our childhood friends, who were indeed our best playdates, to our high school friends, who helped us navigate dating, and homework, to our mom friends, who commiserate with us, offer a shoulder to cry on about marriage and family and give us parenting advice, we've had it all. Here are the best books on female friendship that will melt your heart!

Summer Sisters, Judy Blume

Judy Blume delves into 'the sad and sunny sides of friendship' in Summer Sisters, resulting in an entertaining book that will immerse readers. Caitlin Somers and Victoria — Vix — Weaver meet in sixth grade and their friendship blossoms when Caitlin invites Vix to spend the summer on Martha's Vineyard with her. Their friendship evolves and changes as they grow older and struggle with love, death, and betrayal.

The Island of Sea Women, Lisa See

The Island of Sea Women, which spans over the years 1938 to 2008, tells the experiences of Young-sook and Mi-Ja, two female divers on Jeju Island known as Haenyeo. The couple, who met as young kids and came from diverse backgrounds, create a tight bond — until a betrayal shatters their relationship. This epic tale delves into the history of the Haenyeo while also examining the complexity and struggles of friendship and forgiveness.

Firefly Lane, Kristin Hannah

In the summer of 1974, Tully Hart moves in across the street from Kate Mularkey, and the two quickly become close friends, marking the beginning of a romance that will forever transform both of their lives. Firefly Lane follows the ups and downs of friendship over three decades, showcasing love, devotion, jealousy, and forgiveness along the way. As a result, readers may find themselves reaching for Kleenex as they read this touching novel.

Band of Sisters, Lauren Willig

The Smith College Relief Unit, a group of Smith College alumni who journeyed to France during World War I to rescue villages devastated by the German occupation, inspired this fascinating tale. Kate Moran, a former scholarship student who joins the unit at the request of her former best friend, Emmeline Van Alden, is at the centre of Band of Sisters. Lauren Willig creates a vivid picture with rich historical detail throughout the work, highlighting the intriguing interactions between Kate and Emmie and the other Smithies.

The Last Year of the War, Susan Meissner

Elise Sontag's family is transferred to a Texas internment camp after her father is imprisoned on suspicion of being a Nazi sympathiser. Even as the war affects their lives, she meets and builds a great friendship with Mariko Inoue, a Japanese American youngster. "Vivid historical detail and excellent prose bolster this wonderful storey of profound friendship, family, dread, and the grief that arose for American-born children of immigrant parents," says Publishers Weekly.

The Girls from Corona del Mar, Rufi Thorpe 

Best friends Mia and Lorrie Ann couldn't be more different; where Mia is careless and proudly hard-hearted, Lorrie Ann is kind, serenely lovely, and seemingly resistant to the kind of teenage mistakes that Mia can't help but make.

 But within a few years, luck changed. Suddenly, Mia is free to grow up and adventure, falling in and out of love while duties at home weigh down Lorrie Ann. And when good, friendly, brave Lorrie Ann stops being so good, Mia must ask how well she ever really knew her best friend in the first place.