Asking for a Friend

Kerry Clare’s contemporary novel, Asking for a Friend, is an intimate exploration of the complexities of female friendship—something every woman, regardless of age, can relate to. More than just a nostalgic reflection on college days, Clare’s novel maps the ever-evolving bond between Jess and Clara, two women whose connection is tested and transformed over two decades. As they navigate relationships, careers, and motherhood, their friendship is a true test of time, shifting priorities, and the inevitable conflicts that come with growing up. The result? A beautifully raw, bittersweet reflection on how we hold onto the people who shape us.

From their chaotic first year in a university dorm to the unfiltered realities of adulthood, Jess and Clara’s relationship feels incredibly real. Clare captures the intimacy of shared secrets and explores the ups and downs of womanhood perfectly, effectively drawing readers in. She offers a refreshingly honest take on the push-and-pull of lifelong friendships—the quiet resentments, the unspoken apologies, and the unwavering bond that keeps certain people in our life, no matter how far we drift. The novel feels as real and lived-in as a late-night phone call with an old friend, balancing tenderness with brutal honesty.

One of the most powerful aspects of Asking for a Friend is how Clare navigates the complicated territory of abortion, motherhood, and pregnancy with admirable honesty and empathy. From miscarriages to water births, she writes about the physical and psychological toll of motherhood with an authenticity rarely seen in contemporary fiction. In one of the novel’s most strikingly intimate moments, Jess and Clara reflect on their unplanned pregnancies—one leading to abortion, the other to an unexpected path into motherhood. This divergence in paths is echoed in their late-night conversation, acknowledging both the privilege of choice and the emotional complexity of their decisions. Clare doesn’t simplify or sensationalize these experiences; she allows them to exist in their messiest and truest form.

Like the best novels about friendship, Asking for a Friend is one you’ll want to pass to your sister, your best friend, or the woman who’s seen you at your worst and loved you anyway. Clare understands the unique magic of female friendships, how they may sometimes bend and stretch but, when built on love, rarely break. This isn’t just a novel about friendship; it’s a tribute to the transformative power of the women who walk beside us through life’s hardest and happiest moments. A must-read for anyone who has ever fought for, grieved, or cherished a friendship, Asking for a Friend reminds us that the relationships we hold closest are always worth the effort—even when they require us to grow, shift, and start again.

—CANREADS BOOK REVIEW

Published by Doubleday Canada

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