I was contacted about reviewing a new book by Marian Jordan titled The Girlfriends Guidebook, a book about “navigating female friendships.” Since I got married, I haven’t really maintained any female friendships. I did make and have kept several friends that were introduced through my husband. However, I don’t currently have any close female friends. I was hoping this book would help with that.
I love the warning that is issued at the beginning of the book. In the introduction, the author warns that you should “please read this book for yourself… not for your girlfriends!” (2). It’s too easy to read advice about any aspect of life and want to apply it to others. However, advice should first be applied to ourselves!
The goal of this book is to “examine friendship from the perspective of God’s Word” (22). Looking over the book, it does fulfill that stated purpose. The Girlfriends Guidebook examines friendship and uses lots of Scripture texts to show what qualities a woman should provide in a friendship and what qualities to look for in a friend. Jordan states three reasons for friendship – companionship, sanctification, and service. She outlines each of these purposes and shows how these purposes are illustrated in Scripture. I thought each purpose was well illustrated and supported.
I think my favorite quote in the book is in chapter three. It states that “if the cry of our hearts for love and acceptance is not first realized in a relationship with Jesus Christ, then great disappointment awaits any woman who believes she’ll find it in a friendship” (48). I think this quote is applicable to any aspect of life. If we do not have a relationship with Jesus Christ, we will be disappointed in anything we try to secure love and acceptance from.
After reading the book, I was left with one question – are girlfriends necessary to a married woman? Is there something that a close female friendship provides that a spouse does not? My husband is my best friend. Would developing a bosom female friendship provide something that I cannot or should not seek from my husband? I’m not sure.
Overall, I thought this was a very solid book. The tone is a bit girly for my taste, referring to Sex and the City, shopping, and boys. I’m not quite that girly and couldn’t really relate to some of the author’s illustrations but the book still resonated with me.
Thank you, PR by the Book and B&H, for allowing me to read and review this book. It was provided to me free of charge in exchange for my honest opinion.
For another interesting review of this book, please visit Reading to Know.