Category: Famous Friends

In Elena Ferrante’s four Neapolitan Novels, Elena and Lila are frenemies. From childhood to adulthood, together or apart, they are each other’s best friends and worst critics. Read The Sister Knot about two resilient women, orphaned in WW2, who defy fate to sustain a lifelong friendship. A compelling novel about the power of sisterhood. Learn more about the book in NOVELS.

Elena and Lila are lifelong frenemies in Ferrante’s four Neopolitan Novels

Two resilient women, two separate journeys, one lasting friendship

The two fantasy novelists were members of a literary critique group called The Inklings. Lewis, after seeing Tolkien’s sketches, encouraged him to write what became Lord of the Rings. Tolkien helped Lewis return to Christianity, which resulted in The Chronicles of Narnia. Read The Sister Knot about two resilient women, orphaned in WW2, who defy fate to sustain a lifelong friendship. A compelling novel about the power of sisterhood. Learn more about the book in NOVELS.

Authors and friends, they encouraged each other to write their greatest works

Two resilient women, two separate journeys, one lasting friendship

Of the many friendships in J. R. R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings, the one between Frodo Baggins and Samwise Gamgee is iconic. With his loyal, kind, and brave friend Sam, Frodo faces challenges, overcomes setbacks, and accomplishes his mission. Read The Sister Knot about two resilient women, orphaned in WW2, who defy fate to sustain a lifelong friendship. A compelling novel about the power of sisterhood. Learn more about the book in NOVELS.

Iconic friends Frodo and Sam together accomplish the great mission in Lord of the Rings

Two resilient women, two separate journeys, one lasting friendship

Escape artist Houdini gave silent film actor Keaton his stage name. Houdini, who co-owned a traveling show with Keaton’s father, saw little Joseph Frank Keaton fall down the stairs. Houdini admired how well the baby took a “buster” and the nickname stuck. Read The Sister Knot about two resilient women, orphaned in WW2, who defy fate to sustain a lifelong friendship. A compelling novel about the power of sisterhood. Learn more about the book in NOVELS.

How Harry Houdini nicknamed “Buster” Keaton

Two resilient women, two separate journeys, one lasting friendship

Founding Fathers, Washington and Hamilton, fought for U.S. independence and worked to build a stable country. They also became friends who shared the federalist view that Americans should have a strong central government as opposed to Thomas Jefferson who favored a decentralized (states’ rights) model. Read The Sister Knot about two resilient women, orphaned in WW2, who defy fate to sustain a lifelong friendship. A compelling novel about the power of sisterhood. Learn more about the book in NOVELS.

Washington and Hamilton: Political allies and friends

Two resilient women, two separate journeys, one lasting friendship

In Mark Twain’s The Adventures Of Tom Sawyer, orphan Tom and vagrant Huck get up to no good but are an inventive and entertaining team of mischief-makers in this satirical novel. Read The Sister Knot about two resilient women, orphaned in WW2, who defy fate to sustain a lifelong friendship. A compelling novel about the power of sisterhood. Learn more about the book in NOVELS.

Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer are entertaining mischief-makers in Twain’s classic

The friendship between King and Shabazz grew from tragedy — the assassinations of their husbands, civil rights leaders Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X. More than widows, the women were activists in their own right and spiritual sisters in the fight for social justice. Read The Sister Knot about two resilient women, orphaned in WW2, who defy fate to sustain a lifelong friendship. A compelling novel about the power of sisterhood. Learn more about the book in NOVELS.

King and Shabazz, friends in tragedy, sisters in social activism

Two resilient women, two separate journeys, one lasting friendship

Kennedy’s father, Joseph, was a friend of Chicago mafia boss Sam Giancana, who helped secure union votes for JFK in the 1960 presidential election. Sinatra, the go-between, became friendly with JFK. The friendship ended when Attorney General RFK (JFK’s brother) ordered the FBI to go after the Mob. Read The Sister Knot about two resilient women, orphaned in WW2, who defy fate to sustain a lifelong friendship. A compelling novel about the power of sisterhood. Learn more about the book in NOVELS.

JFK and Sinatra were friends until RFK went after the Mob

Two resilient women, two separate journeys, one lasting friendship

Anne in L. M. Montgomery’s Anne of Green Gables longs for “a really kindred spirit to whom I can confide my inmost soul.” She finds one in Diana. Their opposite temperaments – adventurous and imaginative vs. down-to-earth and realistic – cause tension, yet they remain lifelong friends. Read The Sister Knot about two resilient women, orphaned in WW2, who defy fate to sustain a lifelong friendship. A compelling novel about the power of sisterhood. Learn more about the book in NOVELS.

Anne Shirley and Diana Barry: Temperamental opposites and lifelong friends

Two resilient women, two separate journeys, one lasting friendship

Keller met Twain (the pen name of Samuel Clemens) when he was in his late 50s and she was 14, the same age as his youngest daughter. Twain was impressed by Keller’s wit and intelligence and described her as “the eighth wonder of the world.” They loved to swap stories and exchanged many letters until Twain’s death 15 years later. Read The Sister Knot about two resilient women, orphaned in WW2, who defy fate to sustain a lifelong friendship. A compelling novel about the power of sisterhood. Learn more about the book in NOVELS.

Helen Keller and Mark Twain enjoyed each other’s wit and exchanged many letters

Two resilient women, two separate journeys, one lasting friendship